How to Deal with a Tsukishima Kei
by Rhea Ellace
Summary: It can't be helped that her subconscious avocation is reading people and psychologically slithering her way around them to keep her esteem in check. But when she crosses path with a tall blonde who is the combination of a sarcastic jerk, a disdainful asshole, an anti-social boy and a tightly-shut treasure chest, her curiosity is piqued. Tsukishima Kei becomes her biggest puzzle.
1. Chapter 1

Iruka Kihira is blessed with a gift.

For fifteen years, no one has ever acknowledged this gift of hers. No one paid much attention to the mediocre girl. She was academically competent enough to be put into a college-prep class, but never the valedictorian. She is shown to have potential in most sports she tried, but never good enough to be put into a school team. She liked making friends, but never sociable enough to be the popular kid.

Iruka Kihira is ordinary. And she knows exactly why.

But she doesn't chase that extra length of effort to be better, to be the best. She could study a couple hours everyday until her brain fried if she wanted too. She could sign up for the basketball team or football team, show up for practice and work her butt off until the coach takes notice of her if she wanted to. She could approach people and start interacting with everyone and anyone she comes across if she could erase that sense of insecurity in her heart.

Instead, she chooses to be whatever she wants to be and do whatever she wants to do. As long as it is within her comfort zone.

Nonetheless, she had thought of doing something worthful before. In fact, she longed to be extraordinary (apparently to her, being good in _something_ is extraordinary). But Iruka Kihira lacked passion and confidence. Every time she tries to get involved in something, vowing to herself she will turn her boring, uneventful life upside down, her insecurity kicks in and sends her hightailing out of the area faster than a bullet train. She tried everything. The school band, the track team, girl scouts, even taekwondo, for the sake of her friend, Akiyo. But she didn't like the hierarchical system in the school band, or the egoistic track team coach who only focused on the school runners, or having to wake up during the godly hours of a morning to show up at the scouts' camp, or how ridiculous she looked like in the taekwondo outfit. As much as she cared about her image in school, and knowing that most of her middle school classmates probably sees her as one of the "inactive, antisocial" kind, it got to the point she just gave up altogether.

She guesses it can't be helped.

Kihira yawns once again, not bothering to cover her mouth. There is hardly anyone left in the classroom besides a few classmates. She slaps her hand over her backpack strap and heaves it over her shoulders. Hana walks by her table. "Going home now?"

Kihira picks up her textbooks. "Yeah. You?"

"I have Art Club." Hana replies, adjusting the strap of her bag. "You should join the art club you know, since you're good in art."

Kihira inwardly sighs. "Well yeah, but I can't paint."

"We don't just paint. We do pencil work too." Hana flashes her an encouraging smile. Hana tops Kihira's list of Extraordinarily Nice People. She is the epitome of an angel - sweet, kind, helpful and extremely considerate. As considerate as Kihira would label her to be, it will help if Hana could lay off her this once.

"Well..." Kihira drifts, trying to find the right words in order to not hurt the fragile girl's feelings. "Maybe. I just think that being in a club for art would just constrict my style."

Hana places a hand on her shoulder, flashing her another one of her signature sunny smiles. "I understand. I feel that way sometimes, but it keeps you inspired." She puts her hand down. "Well, I better get going. See ya!"

Kihira waves as Hana hurries out of the class. Sighing again, she drags herself out of the classroom. It's been two weeks since she started high school in Karasuno and she hasn't found a club. Her middle school life was a complete waste of three years, she concluded. But no matter how demotivated she is, she will not pass up the chance of starting life anew. She is still willing to give herself another chance to turn her teenage school life into something worth remembering.

But first she has to find a club.

She exits the school. Since her house is just a few blocks away, her parents decided she can walk to school and back everyday until they find a transport for her, and Kihira finalized to herself that day will never happen. She never likes walking home alone. Walking home alone is one of the moments her paranoia acts up and her peculiar mind starts playing games on her. It's extremely mind-boggling to have thoughts nagging in her mind about things that don't even happen.

_Perhaps the dark alley you walk by so often lurks the most dangerous rapists. Perhaps that man cycling past you and making eye contact with you is thinking of touching you. Perhaps walking right behind you right now is a big grubby man, waiting to pounce on you, drug you and drag you into a car nearby._

Kihira spins her head around instantly.

She sighs and slaps her forehead. She is paranoid.

But she is a realist. There's a possibility that those incidents could happen. She can only be mentally ready if it happens. _Stay calm, and just kick the guy's nuts right?_ That was what Akiyo told her.

It's difficult being a teenage girl.

At this point she was nearing her neighbourhood. She turns the corner and hears a chattering noise. She spots two figures up front, a blonde and a brunette. The brunette seems excited, walking with little hops in his steps whilst the tall blonde merely struts in a composed manner, seemingly unperturbed by his friend's enthusiasm.

Kihira looks at the ground and slows her walking pace, not wanting to startle the duo. It's nice to know that there are schoolmates taking the same route home as her, even though she hasn't seen them walk this route before. It gives her the sense of security.

Now that most of her worries have been cleared, she just has one last thing to agonize.

She sighs again, this time heavier.

* * *

"Kihira!"

Akiyo slams her hands on her table, jolting the brown-haired girl from her train of thoughts. Narrowing her eyes at her rambunctious friend, Kihira sits up straight. It is seven in the morning, and Kihira is not the most pleasant person during these early hours. "God damn it, Akiyo, can you be a bit more unstartling?"

Akiyo still has the silly grin on her face. "Can you accompany me to the gym?"

"Gym?" Kihira rubs her eyes. "Why on earth?"

"J...Just don't ask!" Akiyo was already tugging at her sleeve, spluttering, avoiding eye contact, and trying very hard to hide a wide grin. This could only mean one thing.

"Another crush of yours?" Kihira groans, but got off her seat anyways.

"I didn't say crush!"

"But it is, isn't it?"

"J...Just come with me!" Akiyo pulls her out of the classroom and down the hallway. Whoever this guy is, Kihira can only guess this will last for three months. She wouldn't tell her friend up front, but Akiyo never had it well with boys. She's too feisty and loud around them - around anyone and everyone in fact. None of them ever reciprocates, be it in elementary school, middle school or possibly high school. The boys Akiyo chose to fall for just never had mutual interest.

Soon after, they reach main doors of a gym. Sounds of shoes squeaking against floors and balls bouncing off surfaces are heard. Akiyo doesn't stop running, pulling Kihira into the gym and up the stairs leading to the stands. Kihira eyes the group of boys in the room. _Volleyball?_

When they reach the stands, they lean their hands onto the balustrade, peering over the squabbling boys below. Kihira glances at Akiyo sideways, watching a wide grin crawling up her friend's face. "Okay, so who is it this time?" She is not amused, having to be dragged everywhere while she was half awake. Her eyes scan the boys, looking for one who could be Akiyo's potential crush.

"Guess." Akiyo says, still grinning ear to ear. "One hint. A tall one."

Kihira's eyes dart around the court. A tall one. It is difficult to make out their height from where she is standing. Definitely not the ginger head screaming at another raven-haired. The ashen-haired at the sides? The baldy? No, definitely not. A tall one...a tall one...

Her eyes lands on the opposite side of the court, at a particular spectacled blonde. He has just jumped and blocked a spike by the orange-haired boy. He smirked and said something about the boy's height before earning glares of daggers. The shorter boy held up his fists, shouting something along the lines of "You wanna go" while his teammates holds him back.

Kihira raises a brow at this. "Is it Tsukishima Kei?"

"Wha?" Akiyo is puzzled. "No no, it's Kageyama Tobio." She points to the raven-haired boy from before, who was now yelling at the ginger head about something incomprehensible to Kihira's ears.

"You said a tall one."

"He IS tall! He's about a hundred and eighty centimetres!"

"Well, he's not the tallest one on court."

"I didn't say he is the tallest." Akiyo says. "He is really popular in the volleyball community. He's nicknamed the King of the Court and it's so co-"

"And what exactly is so attractive about this...Kageyama guy?" Kihira asks while watching him toss a ball.

"He's cool, and really composed!"

That she could partially agree. Kihira watches as the ball flies over to the orange-haired's direction. He jumps to get ready to slam the ball over the net but the ball's speed is far too much for him to handle as he slaps air, groaning when he lands. The ball bounces off the floor and rolls off into a corner. Kageyama Tobio is now haranguing the poor ginger head for being an air head.

She chuckles. "Still think he's cool and composed?"

"He's cute when he's mad!"

She looks to Akiyo and decides to be blunt. "Akiyo, I don't think Kageyama Tobio here even _notices_ your existence."

"I knoowww." Akiyo pouts, head sinking low to the level of the balustrade. "But it doesn't hurt to fantasize once in a while, does it?"

Kihira's eye twitches at the word 'fantasize'. When it comes to Akiyo, she knows exactly what fantasizing means to her friend. Her mind circulates around the fact that Akiyo's mind is bombarded with images of herself doing unspeakable things to Kageyama Tobio...

_Eww._

"Watch out!"

Kihira snaps from her stance. The next thing she sees is a flurry of red, white and green spiralling towards her face at the speed of light. Akiyo yelps. Before it could hit her, Kihira clasps her hands around the ball, completely stopping the momentum and movement of the ball. Next comes a burning sensation on her palms. Gasps were heard from below. All eyes are suddenly on her.

The gym falls dead silent.

"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!" The ginger head hollers at them while bowing profusely. Kihira stares at him and lowers the ball onto the baluster.

"Hinata!"

"You idiot! You could've killed her!"

"I'm sorry, Tanaka-senpai!"

"You dumbass! Watch the ball closely!"

Kihira waits until the commotion died down before giving Hinata a reassuring smile. "It's okay! We're fine!" She tosses the ball back down, directly into the hands of Kageyama Tobio. Before tearing her eyes from the court, she scans the opposite side of the court to make out who served and locks gaze with a very tall blonde.

He shifts his gaze away first and averts his focus on the game. She inwardly raises a brow. If there is one thing she learnt from reading strangers, it would be to never break eye contact first - it gives a shady impression.

At this point, she realizes that Akiyo has been glaring at her intensely. "What?"

Akiyo sighs. "Never mind. Are you okay?"

"Yeah."

Akiyo places her hands on the railing. "You know that guy?" She points at the tall blonde. "Tsu...tsu..."

"Tsukishima Kei?" Kihira asks, watching him as he blocks yet another one of the ginger head's spikes. He then proceeds to comment on the ginger's height before guffawing, completely oblivious to the shorter boy's exasperation. "He's my neighbour."

* * *

**A/N: Greetings fellow fanfictioneers! I was looking around and found no TsukishimaxOC on the site. Poor Tsukki, no one loves him? ****So I just decided to write one and that's how this happened.**

**Before we advance, I would like to state that this is an extremely slow progressing story so please bear with me. If it doesn't hamper you, a review is very much appreciated! Reviews appease the feeling that I'm talking to a wall.**

**Disclaimer****: These adorable volleyboys do not belong to me. They belong to Furudate Haruichi, unfortunately.**

**And I also don't own the cover image. You can't possibly think I could pull off such an attractive-looking Tsukishima from my magical fingertips , can you? But praise the lord on whoever did it.**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: I like my chapters long. I'M SORRY. And this entire chapter was a cringe trip for me.**

* * *

The recess bell rings.

Kihira yawns and stretches herself lazily, feeling every inch of her muscle lengthens. She exhales, regaining her original composure as she smacks her lips. Few weeks have passed and she still hasn't found a club that fancies her. At this rate she can give up on making her school years "enjoyable and memorable", as she put it when she vowed to herself at the beginning of the school year. Perhaps she will give Art Club a try, but she doubts her participation will last longer than a few weeks. She has seen what they do in there, and there is nothing particularly interesting about sitting around in a class and doodle away in silence. She wants to join a club that makes her energetic and happy, a club that makes her look forward to going to the next day, and every other day.

No club have been able to do that to her.

She sighs.

"My, you have been sighing a lot lately, haven't you?"

Kihira looks up at Hana's slightly concerned, otherwise delighted face. She is right, she seldom sighs.

"Still thinking about the club issue?"

Kihira nods. "I'm deciding between softball and dodgeball. Help me choose."

Hana chuckles and sits on her desk. "Take your time. Don't join a club you're going to quit later on."

"I know. It's just that my mom gets pissy if she finds out I'm being a lazy ass. She's going to know. I'll be coming home right after school ends every day and she will know I'm not doing any extracurricular activities. Plus, I don't want to walk home alone." Kihira says it all in one breath and rubs her temple. Hardly anyone walks home right after school hours anymore, not even Tsukishima Kei and the brunette (whose name Kihira later learns is Yamaguchi Tadashi). They probably have volleyball practices every day. With them gone, her sense of security vanishes along. If she stays back in school often enough, she might be able to walk home with other schoolmates or hitch a ride home with Akiyo.

"I don't want to be clubless, but nothing here really catches my interest. Not even Art Club." She pauses. "Sorry."

Hana just laughs. "That's okay. You're looking for a more... intense club, is that it?" She places a finger to her chin. "How about being a manager?"

Kihira looks at her oddly. "What? Why?"

"I don't know...since you're good at managing people."

"Since when was I good at managing people?" Kihira questions. "I'm a wreck around people."

"It's not that." Hana says. "Look, I don't know how to word this, but since middle school I see the way you deal with people, and helping me deal with my people problems. Remember the Hiteki conflict? You saved me big time on that one."

"Huh." Kihira merely says. "I went with the feel and the flow on that one."

"See? Maybe you are a people-person."

Kihira scoffs inwardly, but doesn't argue with Hana. "Well, whatever you say. But a manager?"

"Yeah, why not? Find the rowdiest sports team we have here and sign up for the manager spot and _voila_! Not only have you landed yourself a club but also a medium to practise your skills!"

Kihira still isn't enthusiastic about the suggestion, but says half-heartedly, "I'll consider."

Hana smiles and grabs her by the wrist. "Alright, come on! I'm starving, let's go eat!"

* * *

It is a typical Wednesday morning.

The cafeteria is buzzing about with high school students wiping food clean off the food counter like a swarm of lotus as Akiyo babbles about a book she just finished. Hana listens intently while chuckling once in a while at her friend's antics while Kihira stares off, observing two crows eyeing a piece of cracker someone abandoned on the cafeteria table. Everything is normal in Karasuno High School.

Walking out of the cafeteria and into the school building, Kihira and Hana listen to Akiyo's description of one of her taekwondo opponents.

"...and then her face kinda puckered up at me which makes her look so childish and I couldn't help but laughed so hard. Everyone thought I was crazy." Akiyo rambles on. "But it was the best day ever!"

"You do realize that making enemies with a second-year is going to do you no good, don't you?" Kihira comments.

"Yeah, but I ain't afraid of hell!" Akiyo says loudly, attracting the attention of a few students walking along the hallway nearby. "She's just a big baby."

Hana laughs weakily. "Yeah, but Kihira is right. You're going to cause troubles in the future. She will be a third-year next year."

"Ahh, who gives a damn. I want to see that face of hers again!"

"Akiyo, profa-"

A student suddenly dashes past Hana, knocking her roughly on the shoulder. The person turns around and hastily apologises before rushing into an open door leading to a flight of stairs.

"Hey, watch it!" Akiyo calls out, but the boy is already gone. Before she could yell further, Kihira pulls her away from the middle of the hallway, allowing a few teachers who were following him in tow rush past bedazzled students. They swing open the door to the stairs that leads to the roof and disappears inside

"What's going on?" Akiyo asks no one in particular. "Let's go see!"

"Wai-" Kihira couldn't even finish the word as Akiyo pulls both her and Hana heads straight towards the stairs. She isn't one to pry into people's business, but with the three of them running up the stairs, backing away now is too late. She wonders since when did Akiyo get so nosy.

When they swing open the door to the rooftop, several students and teachers were already there. At the edge of the roof stands a girl, back facing them. It takes a few seconds for the girls to register what was going on. Akiyo's eyes widen a little. Kihira remains silent. Hana presses a hand over her mouth, releasing a gasp. The only person who managed to get close to the girl is Mikoto-sensei, a counselling teacher standing about four metres away from her.

"Aya, I understand what you're feeling now, but it's not worth taking your life over-"

"No. You don't understand. No one understands." The girl says between gritted teeth. "Leave me alone."

"Aya, please. If you can just step down, just one step down the ledge, we'll sort this out, alright? Tell me, what happened?"

"Just go away. I don't need your help. I don't need anyone's help. Leave me be!"

"Aya, please." the teacher begs, worried tears starting to well up in her eyes. "Come down and we'll sort it out..."

They continue to watch them. A male teacher turns to them and makes arm gestures. "All of you go down. You're making matters worse here-"

"Just leave me alone all of you!" the girl suddenly screams, tearing her voice box. Everyone freezes. "Or I'll jump!"

At that point the whole school is in silence. No one says a word. They are stunned, so stunned that it takes a few long seconds before the male teacher turns to them and says quietly, "Hear that? Come on, hurry along."

Kihira glances at the back of the girl. She is trembling. She is enduring so much pain. She is wallowing in so much misery. She is on the brink of breaking down.

But this girl won't jump.

Hana glances at Kihira from the sides, and takes note of what might be going through her mind. She nudges her friend in the arm. "If you can help her, do it."

Kihira reckons her and whispers. "That's crazy. What if she jumps?"

Hana gives her a thumbs up. "I know you can."

Taking a deep breath, Kihira trudges towards the counselling teacher, ignoring the male teacher's shouts at her. Approaching the counselling teacher, Kihira touches her hand. The teacher whips her head around to look at Kihira.

"Sensei, what happened to her?"

The teacher doesn't dismiss her. "I don't know. She wouldn't tell me."

Kihira takes one last look at the girl who hasn't shown her face. Should she do this? She feels like doing it. She feels like she needs to get her point across this girl somewhat, though this is something she has never done before. Her next move involves betting the life of girl on the line, and she is uncertain if she is willing to take the risk. It is way too dangerous. These things are outside her comfort zone.

But sometimes desires always beat mindsets. "Sensei, if you don't mind, I'll talk to her, but everyone else needs to go down."

There is a faint sign of hesitance in the teacher's eyes, so Kihira locks eyes with her. _Eye contact shows confidence_. She needs the teacher to have it in her.

The teacher nods and steps away from where she stood, gesturing to the small crowd to vacate the roof. Kihira takes a deep breath. She slowly walks around the girl, still maintaining the four-metre gap between them. To coax the girl, she needs something to read - her facial expression, her body language, her eyes...anything. When she managed to get a look of her face, she notes that it is passively plain.

Kihira takes a step closer.

"Don't!" the girl suddenly shouts, startling her. "...come closer. I'll jump!"

Kihira halts in her steps. "You're Aya, right?" she makes her voice loud and clear. And firm.

The girl says nothing. Kihira continues, "Look, I know you won't jump."

The girl shoots her a look that threatens her instant death, but this is good news for Kihira. She is looking at her. There's some interaction here. "You don't know what I can do."

"Sure I don't." Kihira says. "But you won't jump."

"Don't challenge me!"

"How about I challenge you now? I dare you to jump."

Shock and challenged is written all over her face. People hate being challenged, and this girl is no exception. She looks down below her, but quickly shuts her eyes after. She shakes a little in her stance, but otherwise doesn't move. She bites her lips, body trembling.

She lost.

"You don't want to jump. You don't want to die. Not yet." Kihira says, taking a tiny, insignificant step closer. "If you wanted to die so bad, you wouldn't still be here"

_Another step._

"You know nothing about me. You can't help me." her voice starts to sound nasal. "You don't understand me. You don't understand how I feel. You don't-"

"No one needs to understand you." Kihira cuts before she could say anything further. "No one needs to understand you in order to love you, or befriend you, or for you to survive. It's just how it is! You don't need someone who relates to you to help you!"

Tears starts streaming down Aya's face, and Kihira takes this as a good news. Having emotions means having mercy, and _lord please allow her to have mercy on herself._

_Another step._

Kihira swallows her voice a little. "Look, whatever this problem you have, years from now none of this will matter. You're feeling a lot of pain right now, and you just want to end it all." _Don't use the word 'but'_ . "You don't want to die like this, because the fact that you are still standing here, on this ledge, shows that there is still some hope in you." She pauses. _Now give her a situation._ "If you jump off this ledge, everyone here will be so damn confused for the rest of their lives, wondering what went wrong and why."

Aya starts to sniff. _Another step_. At this point she is a metre from the girl, close enough for Kihira to catch her in case she slips or her words backfires but still puts a distance between them to avoid startling the girl.

"If you jump your only shot of getting a second chance in life will be gone. Eternally." Careful not to look down, Kihira slowly sits on the ledge beside Aya, feeling a bit anxious. Her face heats up a little at how cheesy she sounds, but the mental eye-rolling will have to be saved for later. "It gets better. Life gets better. Only if you are willing to believe it. Your life isn't going to turn into sunshine and rainbows without effort from yourself."

The last few sentences, she doesn't quite know why, but she decides to throw in at the last second. "If your life is empty, do something. Create something. Nothing changes because nothing changes."

From here on out, she keeps quiet. Silently, she holds out a hand, and gives her a smile. A genuine smile. _It gets better._

Aya looks at her hand and sniffs.

She takes it.

That was surprisingly short.

Kihira pulls her down to sit on the ledge beside her, rubbing her back with her hands in circular motions. This gesture makes Aya bury her face into her hands, and cry.

They sat there for what seemed like thirty minutes before Aya calmed. Kihira still remains silent. _Don't speak. Listen._

"It hurts so bad."

_Listen._

"I'm so lost...I don't know what to do."

_Listen._

"What do I do now?"

Kihira opens her mouth, but closes it. She pats her back first. "First, you will get professional help."

Aya exhales, and calms. Kihira looks at the counselling teacher standing nearby, nodding to her. Helping Aya to her feet, she hands her over to the teacher and feels a burden being lifted off her shoulders. After all that she still doesn't know what her conflict is.

Her job here is done. But _oh god_, she never wants to deal with something like this again.

Iruka Kihira is blessed with a gift - the gift of being able to play around people's minds, be it for pure purposes or dark ones.

* * *

The bell rings.

Students hastily say their thanks to the teacher and hurry out of the classroom like a swarm of bees. Some of them take their time, putting books into their bags item by item, second by second. They make a little chatter with their friends before pulling their bags off the desks and exit the classroom. Others sit around a little longer, thinking back on the long school day they just had or agonise on the recent event that occurred.

Kihira is one of those people.

She groans and smacks her head into the table. News got around the school fast, and under an hour, everyone knew about the suicidal second-year Morita Aya. It is only a matter of time before the whole school finds out about the first-year who helped persuade her out of it (in fact, almost her entire class knew, thanks to someone's big mouth). Now she regrets doing it. Why did she do it?

Coaxing a person out of a suicidal action has many risks, but when it comes to certain kinds of people, it isn't very tricky. With or without Kihira, anyone could've done it. But coaxing someone out of suicidal thoughts, however, is different. Kihira took note of this when she was speaking to Aya. The words chosen to use against Aya all varied around how Aya was. Was she mad? Sad? Depressed? Emotionless? More sad than angry? More depressed than sad? The same words Kihira used wouldn't worked against someone else. But no matter what words were used, Aya would not jump.

But whether she would think of jumping again, that is beyond her control.

She groans again, muttering under her breath. "What the hell was I thinking..."

"Kira?"

Kihira looks up from the desk to see Akiyo hovering over her. The girl seems worried. "You okay?"

Kihira sighs. "Just tired. Who knows how many people know about this already."

"That's good! You'll be famous!"

"I don't want to be famous..." Kihira groans once again, into her desk. "What the hell was I thinking, playing hero like that. I'll never live this down."

"But you saved someone."

"She would have been saved with or without me."

"Heey, come on." Akiyo says, rubbing Kihira's head. "But you know, you scared the shit out of the teacher when you dared her to jump. Yeah, what the hell were you thinking? What if she jumped? She could have _died_."

"But she didn't jump, right?" Kihira looks at her. "So all is fine."

"Still!" Akiyo wails. "What made you think she wouldn't jump?"

There is no solid reason to that. Most people who try to kill themselves ends up backing away. They fear death. They are not ready. Jumping is one of the scariest way to go, and you had to have a lot of guts and misery in order to do that. Although she didn't know what Aya was going through, the instance she said "Or I'll jump", she just knew this girl wasn't ready to go.

"I felt it in my guts."

"Jesus, Kira. One does not just simply_ feel_ something in their guts." Akiyo says. "Maybe Hana is right. Maybe you are a people-person."

Kihira rests her chin on the heel of her palm, not convinced. "I'm not _that_ great. I wish I am, really, I must have been intoxicated."

"Anyways, " Akiyo adjusts her skirt. "Can you accompany me to the gym again, pleeeease?" She clasps her hands together in a begging fashion. "You won't just be able to watch hot guys tossing balls, but also get a free ride home! Sounds like a good idea, yeah?"

Kihira gives her a look but smiles. She stands up and grabs her backpack. "Alriiight. We can pay your boyfriend a visit then we'll go home."

"He's not my boyfriend! ...not yet, at least."

"Akiyo, don't be so full of yourself."

* * *

When they reached the gym, only two third-years, the ginger and Kageyama Tobio was there.

Akiyo stumbles in her step upon seeing him there, muttering sorry to no one in particular. Kihira shakes her head and pushes her friend towards the bleachers.

"You guys are?"

They turn towards the voice, their eyes landing on a third-year brunette. He's rather tall, but not as tall as Kageyama Tobio. Judging from the way he talks and the vibe radiating off him, Kihira guesses he is the volleyball team captain, otherwise vice. "We are just here to watch." Kihira replies as Akiyo stumbles over the steps. "Sorry if we are bothering you."

"No, not at all." he lightly chuckles. "Just wondering why we have been getting visitors lately."

_Lately?_ Kihira laments to herself. This is only her second time here. She looks up the stairs at Akiyo who's already standing at the railing, staring at a certain tempered setter.

"...Oh." Kihira finally says. "Well...my friend is here...for personal reasons." She makes some gestures with her hand. "I'm just here to accompany her."

The captain raises a brow, then breaks into a knowing smile. "Okay. Just watch out for stray balls." he says and flashes her a smile before walking back to the benches.

Kihira gives a small smile. What a nice guy.

When she reaches the stands, she positions herself next to Akiyo. She can't help but think of what the captain just said. "How many times have you come here?"

Akiyo tries to think of something to say other than the truth but caves. "...every day since the past few weeks."

"You're turning into a psychotic stalker.''

"I can't help it..." Akiyo whines a little and reaches into her backpack for her water bottle. "Lay off me for once will ya?" She continues to dig around her backpack before stopping. "Oh shit."

"What happened?"

"I left my bottle in the class." Akiyo starts thrashing through her bag. "Yep."

Kihira places a hand on her shoulder. "I'll get it for you."

"Really?"

"Yeah. You can stay and watch your Kageyama Tobio." Kihira says. "I'm not the one who wants to be in the gym anyways."

Akiyo grins widely. "Thanks! I love you Kira!"

Kihira can't help but smiles, and feel a little weird about having a fellow female say the three words to her. Not that she was homophobic or didn't appreciate friendship, it just sounds odd to her ears. She makes a mental note to tell her friend that later. Skipping down the stairs, she jogs over to the door as quick as she can to reduce the possibility of balls flying to her face. With force, she swings open the door and lunges out, only to knock into a body of black. She looks up, and up, and up...

At Tsukishima Kei.

Kihira knows he is tall, but she didn't imagine him to be _this_ tall. In fact, she doesn't remember ever looking up to someone this height. At that moment their gaze locks. His honey-brown eyes glances down at her, but this time he doesn't takes his eyes away.

"Sorry!" Kihira hastily apologises and steps to the side, allowing Tsukishima and Yamaguchi to pass through. Tsukishima mutters an almost inaudible "tch" as he shoves past, but loud enough for her to hear it. That makes her eyes follow him, a brow raised at his back.

_What the hell is wrong with him?_

Kihira shakes off the thought quickly, and dashes to the classroom.

* * *

Sauntering out of the classroom with Akiyo's bottle at grip, Kihira didn't think there will be anymore interruptions to this little trip to the classroom, but boy, how wrong she was.

"Iruka Kihira!"

She snaps around to find a girl dashing towards her from the other end of the hallway. Kihira stands there and waits for her. By the time she approaches, she was already panting and wheezing, beads of perspiration forming at the side of her forehead. The girl has slightly ginger coloured hair, broad shoulders and a rather sinister look. Kihira sees her face around in school often enough to be able to remember.

"Iruka Kihira, right?" she asks, hands on her knees. When she straightens up she stands about a few centimetres taller than Kihira. "The one who helped Morita Aya?"

Here it comes. Kihira eyes her apprehensively. "Yeah. Why?"

"Ah. I have been looking all over for you. Thought you went home." the girl tells her. "Mikoto-sensei - the counselling teacher wants to see you. Do you have a minute? Can you see her now?"

Kihira opens her mouth momentarily, then closes it. She holds up Akiyo's bottle. "I do, but I have to get this to my friend."

"If you can't see Mikoto-sensei today, it's fine." The girl wipes the sweat off her forehead with her shirt sleeve. "Recess tomorrow, if possible?"

Kihira thinks for a while. "Yeah, that's good."

"Great." She exhales heavily. Much to Kihira's surprise, she extends her right hand. "Nice to meet you, by the way. I'm Nara Ameyuri from class 1-4."

Kihira shakes her hand and smiles at Ameyuri. She makes sure that her grip is firm. "You already know, from class 1-5."

Ameyuri grins at her way of answering, exposing her abnormally sharp pair of K9 teeth. She waves. "Great, see you!"

As they both walk towards their own destination, Kihira couldn't help but feel giddy. She's making friends, and can already feel that this year is going to be a good school year.

* * *

"One of us has an admirer."

Sugawara catches the ball with both his hands and lifts his head to look at a girl standing at the bleachers. They seldom got any 'visitors' as Daichi calls it, so when a black-haired girl started showing up at the gym every day for the past few weeks, peering at them, they knew something was up.

"Maybe." Sugawara comments, tossing the ball to Tanaka. "Or she could be a volleyball enthusiast."

"I doubt so." Nishinoya says with a grin. "Let's make a bet! I bet she's here for Daichi-san."

"I bet Noya!"

"I bet it's me!

"Tanaka, we all know that's not possible."

"I think it's Kageyama-kun." Sugawara suggests, looking at her again. "She's in your year, right?"

Tanaka bursts out into a fit of laughter. "Kageyama? Why would anyone like _Kageyama_?"

Kageyama glares at him.

Daichi sighs, and recalls what the other girl said to him. He looks up at the stands, but the girl from before is nowhere to be seen. Personal reason alright.

"Tsukishima! Yamaguchi! What do you guys think?" Nishinoya calls out to the duo.

The blonde stops bouncing his ball and shoots Nishinoya an irritated look. He is not the kind of person who bothers to pry into someone's life,_ especially_ a girl's love life. "I'm not interested."

"Eyy Tsukki." Tanaka hums, hands on his hips and eyes flaring with some snide comments in mind. "Too stingy to give up a few dollars?"

"I don't like wasting my money on trivial issues."

"Pfft! This is not trivial!"

"Tanaka, that's enough." Daichi orders, throwing a ball to him. He just wants to resume practice.

But Nishinoya doesn't let up the subject just yet. "What about the other girl? Who do you think she likes?"

"There's another one?" Tanaka shoots up and looks at the stands. Feeling disappointed that there is still only one girl, he deflates. "I don't see another one."

"There WAS another one." Hinata confirms. "She was there like a few minutes ago but she disappeared. Long dark brown hair, doesn't wear stockings. The one I almost hit her face with a volleyball a few weeks ago. Right Kageyama?"

"Oh, that one?" Tanaka rubs his chin, starting to pick up some pieces. "I remember now. Maybe that one came to cheer for me!"

"I doubt she likes anyone." Sugawara interrupts before Nishinoya can pipe in.

"Eyy that's boring..." Tanaka pouts. Then an idea hits him square in the head. "Hey Noya! How about we try her-"

"No monkey business, Tanaka." Daichi grabs him by the back of the collar and pushes him towards the centre of the court. "Get back to practice."

Soon the boys were back at hitting balls again. Yamaguchi who has been listening to their conversation approaches Tsukishima, who has tuned out of their chattering halfway, thinking he wouldn't be interested. But he arches a brow at Yamaguchi and asks, "What were they talking about?"

"They were talking about the girl who bumped into you."

"Her?" Tsukishima merely says before hitting a serve. Yamaguchi notes how his friend actually follows up to his answer.

"Yeah. Do you know her?"

Tsukishima wipes off the sweat forming on his nose with the back of his hand before picking up another volleyball. "We're neighbours."


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: First off, I would like to thank everyone who reviewed, favourited or followed this story! Those simple gestures mean a lot to me! Getting emails saying "How To Deal with a Tsukishima Kei has gained a new follower..." really hypes me up. (Yes I still use email)**

**I have a major national exam in mid-October, so I probably won't be uploading anything in the first half of October. I have chapters 4 and 5 written already - they just need some polishing. I hope y'all can be patient with me. Sankyewberrymuch.**

* * *

As scheduled, Kihira headed down to the counseling room during recess the next day. When she reached, the teacher was busy attending to another student, so she sat on one of the cushion chairs outside the office and waited.

It has been ten minutes. She looks at the clock on the wall for the fourth time. She promised Yachi she will meet her at the cafeteria after her appointment, but it looks like she is going to be late. Although Yachi will understand, she still doesn't want to be tardy.

She waited for another three minutes before the door to the office opens. "Keep up the effort, okay?" she hears the teacher says to someone. She stands up and is met with the student who walks out of the office.

Well would you look at who it is. Kageyama Tobio.

Kihira's face remains passive and avoids eye contact with this boy, looking straight into the office. She can feel him glance at her for a split second before walking past her and out of the room. Inwardly she smugs. He must be here for a discussion on his academic performance rather than his behaviour problems. She remembers Akiyo jabbering about Kageyama being academically lousy, "but is a super genius on court".

Kihira steps into the office and closes the door. Mikoto-sensei sees her and smiles. "Kihira-san? Thanks for coming to see me. Have a seat."

She sits down on the chair across her and notes how comfortable and well she sinks into the chair. "Sure thing."

Mikoto-sensei gets a stack of paper out of the way before starting. "First of all, I want to thank you for helping Aya out." She gently says. "I'm sure she's relieved that there's a friend who cares about her."

Kihira raises a brow, initially bewildered. "Oh, I'm not a friend."

"No? You don't know Aya?"

"Umm...I think so?"

"Oh." Mikoto-sensei says and ponders. "You seemed like a friend."

"No I'm not. I was just...saying things." Kihira explains. "Whatever that would help a depressed person."

"Well, whatever it is, it worked alright." Mikoto-sensei leans her elbows onto her desk and intertwines her fingers. "Aya is depressed. She's got some friendship conflict and academic pressure. We informed her parents so she should be fine. She's going for psychiatric sessions."

"That's...good." Her words linger, not knowing what to say.

Mikoto-sensei leans back into her chair. "Well, that's all actually. I just want to thank you on behalf of Aya." Just when she is about to let her off, she springs up. "Oh! Another thing. Do you have club activities?"

Kihira sinks a little, ashamed of what she is about to say. "No I don't?"

"Ah, okay." Mikoto-sensei brightens up instead of reprimanding her for her inactiveness. She remembers this teacher being particularly assertive about club activities. "Because I was thinking if you are interested in helping the counselling department out. You won't be counselling students of course, just staying back after school some days, sort out some students' files and whatnot. Ameyuri-san - I believe you have met her - is currently helping me."

"But aren't all students' files and discussion with the teachers confidential?"

"That's why I need someone trustworthy." Mikoto-sensei looks her in the eye. "I believe you are, Iruka-san. From the way you handled the situation yesterday, I'm sure you are."

Kihira blinks. She is anything _but_ trustworthy. As far as she can remember, she's not very good in keeping secrets, especially during elementary school years. She had very bad self-control skills. She acknowledged that and fixed the problem over the years but who knows what her stupid mouth will say in the future.

But the offer is interesting. _Staying back in school. Why not?_

"It sounds great." Kihira says. "I'm in."

"Good." Mikoto-sensei smiles and stands. "You'll start tomorrow. That's all. I'll let you off now."

Kihira bows and exits the room, feeling more content than ever.

* * *

"So that one must be the captain."

Akiyo spent the last few minutes figuring out who is who on the volleyball court. She points to random players and tries to relate them to positions she read on the internet the night before. She now knows that Kageyama Tobio plays the position "setter" and a boy named Hinata plays the middle blocker position (much to her surprise - the boy is short!), but can't seem to figure out which position the captain plays.

"Wing spiker." Kihira answers for her. "Baldy is also a wing spiker."

"Oooh." Akiyo says in amusement. "What about the short guy?"

"Libero. They specialise in receives." Kihira says as the libero dives to receive one of Kageyama's serve. The 'baldy', whose name Kihira learnt during their practices is Tanaka, gives the libero a thumbs up and a "nice save, Noya!". 'Noya' probably isn't his full surname because she heard a different name few days before.

"Ahh, I need to read up more." Akiyo pinches the bridge of her nose. "Though I'm not surprised that the tall neighbour of yours is the middle blocker."

"With his height he's probably meant to play that position." Kihira says and watches Tsukishima blocks a spike from Tanaka alongside Kageyama. "Have you ever stood next to him? He's so freakishly tall."

"Are you close to him?" Akiyo spontaneously asks. "You know, considering that you're neighbours."

"No. I've never spoken to him." Kihira says, leaning her chin against the top of the balustrade. Her only verbal (and physical) encounter with him is that one time she bumped into him at the entrance of the gym. Since her family moved into the neighbourhood a year ago, the ladies from both families got extremely and somewhat annoyingly close. It can't be avoided when she has a super-sociable mother - not just with Tsukishima's mother, but with the other ladies as well. Sometimes in the evening, they would bring out plastic chairs and head over to the park, sit there and chat about whatever women would chat about. Help her, they even have an online chat group.

On rare occasions, they had potluck dinner at each other's houses, adults from all four families huddling around to enjoy each other's company. Kihira and her siblings would play video games with the younger neighbours after the meals, and sometimes Tsukishima Akiteru would join in whenever he is around. But Tsukishima Kei never bothered to interact with anyone. Most times he just sat on the couch with his headphones on, completely disregarding his surroundings. Those headphones were with him just about wherever he went, and he wears it like a 'do not disturb' sign. There was a time Kihira caught Tsukishima's mother admonishing him for being unsociable during these functions, and he merely shrugs her words off.

Tsukishima's mother is an extremely nice woman. Her youngest son, on the other hand, is not.

"I used to think he was the quiet type."

"Quiet type?" Akiyo says, scoffing. "From what I've seen in the past few weeks, he's a total jerkface to Kageyama-kun. He calls him 'king' like it's some sort of insult. I don't get why Kageyama gets mad, though."

"That's what I thought, until I started coming here with you." Kihira stands up straight. His endless teases of his teammates, his laughter afterwards, his snickers at Noya's Rolling Thunder (though she had to agree that it was ridiculous) and his blatant rudeness towards her even after she apologized for knocking into him. And yet he's so quiet during gatherings. Just what is this guy?

"So he never talks outside school?"

"Not with the neighbours." Kihira answers, then looks at Akiyo with a sceptical expression. "Why do you ask?"

"If you're thinking what I think you're thinking, no. I am not interested in Mr. Jerkface." Akiyo clarifies. She glances at her sideways. "I'm not the one who lives beside him."

Kihira narrows her eyes. "What do you think this is, the big boy next door scenario?"

Akiyo suddenly bursts into laughter. "BIG BOY NEXT DOOR?" She laughs harder and wipes a stray tear. "Oh my gosh...big boy next- I have to write this down."

"God damn it, Akiyo."

Akiyo is still laughing, and only manages to tune down after a minute. "Okay okay. Big-boy-next-door here gets on people's nerves a lot. I'm just surprised that you're not even his victim."

Kihira sneers. "Not his victim? Let me tell you what happened the other day..."

* * *

"Iruka Kihira!"

Kihira flinches at the volume. She turns and sees Nara Ameyuri approaching her right after she steps outside her own classroom. Her voice made heads turn. Seeing that there is nothing interesting about the duo, everyone proceeds to shuffle down the hallway, their bags in tow.

Kihira heaves a sigh of relief after all eyes are taken off her. Nara didn't have to be so loud. Their classrooms were just beside each other. "Nara." She greets.

"Sorry about that." Ameyuri apologises. "I'm usually not this loud."

Kihira twinkles at Ameyuri's instant self-realization. "Nah it's okay. I just don't do very well with attention."

"Really? You don't seem like that type. Oh, and just call me Ameyuri. 'Nara' sounds weird to me, even after fifteen years."

"That's good." Kihira confesses. "I thought 'Nara' didn't sound right with you too."

Ameyuri grins. "You're honest. I like you."

Kihira smiles at her compliment and the both of them walks down the hallway, heading towards the counselling room. She forgot to mention that she doesn't do very well with compliments too, but it's not necessary to point out for now. Usually she doesn't get comfortable with people she just met, but with Ameyuri Kihira feels at ease, almost as if she has a soothing aura. It is only their second meet up and Kihira is already starting to like the girl.

School just ended and it is her first day helping out in the counselling department. Ameyuri explains to her that Mikoto-sensei only needs their help on certain days, but the schedule is randomized. It doesn't change Kihira's schedule since she plans on staying longer hours in school every day (all just to avoid walking home alone again). Akiyo's taekwondo classes just started, and Kihira has been hitching a ride with her ever since. She can't keep using Akiyo as her transport medium - her mother might get frustrated. Although Akiyo tells her that her mom doesn't care, it's only a matter of time before it gets into her head. Akiyo's house isn't even anywhere near hers, so she's going to have to start walking home sooner or later, if she can find someone to walk home with her.

Entering the office, Ameyuri directs her into a small room within Mikoto-sensei's office, where thick cardboard files stacked up on tables can be seen. Ameyuri notices Kihira's contemplating vibe and assures her. "This looks like a boring job, but trust me, looking into people's information can be fun."

Kihira looks at her. "Are you kidding? I love looking into people's private information."

Ameyuri laughs. "Great! Come on, let's get started."

Their job for the day is simple. Recently the counselling department got every student to do a psychometric test, measuring their skills in visual interpretation, numerical reasoning, language, emotional intelligence, social intelligence and analytical skills. The results for each student were out and printed. All they have to do is put the papers into the files of whoever it belonged to. It is repetitive, but fun, like how Ameyuri described it to be. They got to look at the results of their classmates and seniors, poking fun at the scores, either saying they didn't deserve it or it was so scarily accurate the sun would start setting in the east (it was mean, but it was just the two of them in the room).

"Oh look," Ameyuri shows her a piece of paper in the midst of their work. "It's yours."

Kihira receives the paper and studies it carefully. Ameyuri looks over her shoulder and reads it with her. "Analytical skills, nine out of ten."

"I got five for numerical reasoning." Kihira states as it's the lowest score. She frowns a little and shrugs. "I suck at math anyways."

"Who cares? Look at that." Ameyuri points to the 'Social Intelligence' and 'Visual interpretation' section. "That's a straight out ten out of ten. And the rest is either seven or eight."

Compliments_._ She slaps herself, though she would be lying if she says she is not one bit flattered. She saves the self-admiring thoughts for later. "What about you? Found yours?"

Ameyuri picks up a piece of paper that was significantly put aside on the table. "I got nine out of ten for numerical reasoning, everything else is either seven or eight. I got one five." She shrugs. "I guess I'm decent."

Kihira chuckles. "I think I am too." and gives her the paper back to file. They continue to shuffle through the papers, going back and forth the same process. Other than a few names of her classmates and friends, nothing else really cataches her eyes.

She finishes her stack of paper and moves to the table to take a new one. The name on the first paper catches her eyes briefly before she moves the stack. Gently, she picks up the paper to read the name properly.

_Tsukishima Kei._

Feeling her curiosity piqued, she scans through the results. The boy has got quite the scores too. He aced analytical skills, got eight for numerical reasoning, and seven for language. After slowly taking in all the numbers, she looks down to the one section with the lowest score. Social intelligence.

_Four._

She snickers.

"What's that?" Ameyuri asks upon hearing her. She walks towards Kihira and peers at the piece of paper she's holding. Noticing the name on the paper, she takes it out of her hand. "Tsukishima Kei?" She reads the results, and starts laughing. "Social intelligence, _four_!"

"Oi, not so loud!" Kihira warns, looking towards the door to ensure no one was listening on the other side, but starts laughing eventually. "You know him?"

"He's in my class!" Ameyuri says, her eyes not taking off his paper.

Kihira stops for a bit. "He talks?"

"Are you kidding? I sit diagonally front from him and he will remark just about anyone who crosses his path._ Anyone._" Ameyuri tones down. "Today I came to school late, got yelled at by my teacher, and had to copy my notes in a fury and he purposely - I swear to god - purposely knocked into my table when I was writing. Then he bends down and insults my penmanship!" Ameyuri complains. "_My _penmanship! He says I write like a chicken! What does he expect? I was in a hurry!"

Kihira couldn't control herself any longer and bursts out laughing. She kneels to the floor, and keeps guffawing at the ground even after her stomach was sending painful impulses throughout her entire body. She hasn't laughed like this in a while. It feels great.

"Ugggh! I hate him!" Ameyuri resists the urge to rip his paper apart. "Stupid good-for-nothing asshole!"

Kihira finally lays on her back, resting an arm over her eyes, trying to tone down her laughter. "Oh gosh...chicken...it gets me every time..."

Ameyuri slams his paper onto the table and looks over at Kihira. "Dammit Kihira, stop it already." She helps her to her feet before Kihira decides to lie down on the floor for the rest of the week. After Kihira has calmed down, Ameyuri asks, "You know him?"

"Tsukishima?" Kihira says, wiping a tear from her eyes. "He's my neighbour."

"YOUR NEIGH-" Ameyuri slaps her hand over her mouth in realization of how loud she is. Kihira flinches and starts making wild hand gestures at her. A distorted look envelops her face as she looks at the door again, hoping the other teachers doesn't hear them.

"Not. So. Loud!"

"Your neighbour?" Ameyuri removes her hand and whispers very loudly. "How the hell do you live in peace?"

"He doesn't actually talk."

Ameyuri straightens. "What? He's quiet outside school?"

"Yeah. He never talks during dinner gatherings."

Ameyuri raises a brow and taps her chin with her finger. "So he exerts most of his energy in school teasing people. Hmm."

"Maybe because adults are around." Kihira suggests. "But most of the time he's plugged to his headphones."

"Yeah, his headphones." Ameyuri says and rubs her temple. "I have a friend who, I think, might have a crush on him." She clenched her fists and looks towards the ceiling, as if appealing to the man in the sky. "Why, would anyone in the world have a crush on Tsukishima Kei?"

Kihira laughs. "Ameyuri, I think you are a little fond of him."

"Hell to the no." Ameyuri objects. "I would prefer Ebizu-sensei over him anytime."

Kihira laughs again, this time not as hard as the last but it is enough to send tickles to her stomach. It takes a while for the words to really sink into her before she abruptly stops laughing. "Oh. _Ew._"

"I know." Ameyuri nods at her, completely getting the definition behind what she just said.

Kihira recomposes herself. "I would take Tsukishima over Ebizu-sensei anytime, _only_ because Ebizu-sensei is a whole four decades older than us and allegedly has a socks fetish."

Ameyuri laughs and holds out a hand. "Sorry, I just can't imagine Tsukishima being a boyfriend." She pauses, then continues shortly after. "How did we even get into this topic?"

Kihira chuckles, shaking her head. "But Ebizu-sensei? Seriously, Ameyuri? At least date someone our age."

"I would. Anyone but _Tsukishima Kei_." Ameyuri says his name in disgust. "Talk about someone who scored four for social intelligence."

Kihira laughs again, unable to continue her job for the next half an hour.

* * *

_Where is she?_

School just ended and Kihira is standing outside the gym, waiting for Akiyo to show her face. Her friend has some issues to take care of in Taekwondo Club and said she would only take a few minutes to get it done. But it has been thirty minutes since Kihira arrived there, and she was feeling more uncomfortable by every second as students shoot her curious looks. Kihira is not an impatient person. She just couldn't stand being looked at.

_Come on Akiyo...your Kageyama-kun is waiting for you._ She could already hear sports shoes squeaking against the court floors and hands slamming against volleyballs. She looks into the gym. The door was left open, so she sees everything and everyone inside. Kageyama and Hinata are the only ones there, constantly fighting and putting themselves on each other's nerves. A lot of collar-grabbing and head-whacking were involved along the sides. Kihira is starting to rethink what her impression is of Kageyama Tobio. Well yes, he has a cool guy vibe and a face that could make a few girls melt, but after weeks of seeing him in action on the same court as Hinata Shouyo, Kihira will laugh if another girl says she has a crush on Kageyama Tobio.

That's not just it. His temper flares up fairly quickly when Hinata couldn't spike any of his tosses. Surly guys are in her Guys to Not Date list, and she wonders if it is the same case for Akiyo. Hell, she wonders if Akiyo even notices his flaws. That girl can get over her head sometimes.

Tired of standing, she plops onto the steps and hugs her legs. _Come on Akiyo, don't leave me waiting any longer..._

"Kageyama, there's no need to-"

Kihira jolts out of her thoughts, hearing someone walking towards her. Her head swivels to find the owner of the voice. Standing at the door, Hinata Shouyo is pulling on Kageyama's shirt, trying in vain to get him back into the gym. Kageyama sees that Kihira notices them, and promptly steps out of the gym, not at all bothered by his friend's unfruitful effort. Kihira's mind starts racing. _What do they want?_

Kageyama starts. "Do you know how to play volleyball?"

Kihira recoils a little. "A bit. Why?"

He thumbs towards Hinata behind him. "Can you practise receives with him?"

Hinata snaps at him. "Why don't you practise with me?"

"Because I want to practise my jump serve, and you won't stop bothering me about practising our quicks!"

"Fine fine fine! I will practise receives myself!"

"Idiot! You can't practise receives with yourself!"

"Sure I can! I'll just use the wall!"

"Dumbass! You won't improve with a wall!"

"Sure I will! I've been doing it since middle school an-"

"Yeah, since middle school, and what? Are your receives good?"

Just before their bickering could lead on further, Kihira springs up and gets a hold of their attention. "Okay okay! That's enough, the both of you." The boys become silent. Kihira awkwardly clears her throat. "If you don't want to practise with me it's fine. Either way, I don't mind."

Hinata brightens up. "Really? But aren't you waiting for someone?"

Kihira looks around her. Still no sign of Akiyo. "Yes, but she won't be here anytime soon, I can spare a few minutes."

Hinata makes an 'oooh' sound before grabbing her wrist. "Okay! Let's start!" and pulls her straight into the gym. Kihira almost tripped when he yanked her. She wants to tell him that his grip is too tight, but decides against it when she sees how jovial and bubbly he is when it comes to volleyball. His face is bright like the sun. His worries and troubles were instantly wiped away, like the altercation between him and Kageyama Tobio before never happened. When they reached the center of the court, Kihira realises just how tall the net is. She looks up to the very top. _Hinata can jump that high?_

"Oh oh, and!" Hinata jumps in front of her. "I'm Hinata Shouyo! I want to become Karasuno's ace!"

Kihira still feels a little dumbstruck at this sudden invitation. "I'm Iruka Kihira."

"Oooh Kihira." Hinata laments. "Oh, and ace is the position where the player spikes the ball over the net the most times!"

"Yes...I know that."

Hinata calms down and gives her a big smile. "I'll go over there and I'll hit the ball to you, okay?" He runs towards the opposite direction and stops when he's about eight metres from her. He turns around and throws her another smile. "Ready? And...go!"

Kihira can't help but chuckles. This boy is such an oddball, but his mood really did quite a job affecting hers. Within minutes, she starts feeling extremely hyped and smiley. When she was just watching him from the stands she didn't quite grasp the mood influence, but now she was right in front of him and her vibe is completely reflecting his.

She returns the ball flawlessly. Hinata watches as the ball flies up and bounces off the top of his arm. The ball was falling in front of her, so Kihira moves forward and returns it. She feels happy and giddy by every second. Although it's just simple receives, she feels her adrenaline kicks in, mainly because she feels unusually comfortable and welcomed here.

"Ooohh!"

Hinata catches the ball with both his hands when he spots someone at the door. "Tanaka-senpai! Nishinoya-senpai!" He waves at them. Kihira turns around. A total of five boys walk in, two of them being said Tanaka and Nishinoya. Behind the duo were the captain, the vice-captain and a very tall third-year she hasn't seen before. It seems that the first thing they notice (or first person) is Kihira. Suddenly all eyes are on her, and it sends shivers down her spine.

Tanaka ignores all means and scurries over to her, leaning his face near hers, as if studying every detail of her face. She flinches away from him and starts to feel the sanctity of her mind fade away. _Calm down. You have seen how this one acts on court. You can handle him._

When he doesn't takes his face away, Kihira speaks up with a firm voice. "Can I help you?"

Tanaka pulls away and breaks into a grin. "You're one of the girls who came to watch us for the past few weeks!" He suddenly makes it a point to dramatically clap his hand together beside his cheek and makes a lovestruck look. "Ahh, no other girls have ever come to watch us play except for Kiyoko-sa-"

"Tanaka, you're scaring her." The vice-captain says from behind him, completely knocking him off his stance. He turns to Kihira and smiles. "Sorry about him. He's a little intense."

This one is super nice, she recalls. She smiles back at him. "It's okay, it was just a little sudden."

He chuckles, and briefly looks around. "Where is your friend?"

"She's got some issues to deal with. It's just me here for now." Kihira explains, noticing from her peripheral vision that a certain blonde and brunette are entering the gym. More boys are coming, oh god. Someone help her.

The vice-captain nods. "Well, I'm Sugawara Koushi, third-year. Nice to meet you."

"Iruka Kihira. First-year." She smiles and looks at the other team members without much scrutiny. "You have nice members."

"Oh really?" Sugawara looks around, and sees Kageyama berating Hinata on the other end of the court for disrupting his momentum. Daichi then steps in between them and holds them by their collar, sternly warning them about having their butts kicked out of the gym while Tsukishima and Yamaguchi snicker.

Kihira bites her lips. "Okay. Just some."

Sugawara softly laughs. "I get what you mean. They can be a little intense, but it's entertaining to have them around." He looks at the rest of his teammates who just started doing warm ups. "So you're here because...?"

Kihira points to Kageyama's direction. "He wanted me to help Hinata with his receives. I can leave now if I'm bothering yo-"

"No, it's fine!" he hastily assures her. "I'm sure our captain doesn't mind if you stay a little longer."

Initially Kihira thought the captain was a benign, gentle soul as well, until during their practices she realises that he could be scary too, and sometimes easily irked by tiny issues that erupted. He seems to only get pissed when something or someone stems their practice, and Kihira takes it that she is stemming their practice.

"We are only doing warm ups now anyways." Sugawara adds.

"Alright. I won't bother you then. Thank you." Sugawara needs to start warm ups soon, so she excuses herself from their conversation. Just as soon as she pivots on her heels, Hinata comes running with Kageyama in tow.

"Hey Kihira! Try something." Hinata says and gives her the volleyball. "Try spiking!"

Kihira looks at him blankly. "I don't know how to spike."

"You won't know till' you try!" Hinata puts on his happy face, wheedling her. Kihira glances down at the ball, then at her clothes.

"I'm wearing a skirt." Kihira says. The realization sinks in and Hinata just emits an 'oh'. Both him and Kageyama turns unusually quiet_. Great._ Boys and their dirty teenage hormones. Who knows what thoughts are boggling their minds now.

Kihira sighs through her nose and bounces the ball. "I'll try, but I won't jump too high."

Hinata grins and turns to his partner. "Kageyama! Toss for Iruka-san!"

Kageyama wanted to scoff, but didn't have a valid reason to not toss for Kihira, so he agrees in resignation. "What kind of toss do you want?"

Kihira cocks her head to the side. "I don't think I get it."

Just when Kageyama could go into a lengthy explanation on the type of tosses he can handle and the thought of 'why did I even agree to this', Kihira snaps up. "Oh! You mean the position of the toss?" She pauses, grateful that she doesn't have to see Kageyama's frustrated expression, or feel it. She has seen him toss more than a dozen times, as if Akiyo's feminine yelps weren't already enough to 'alert' her of his actions. His tosses were flawlessly executed and frighteningly accurate, throwing even his own teammates off. He worked well with just about anyone if it wasn't for his deriving nature. He sure does live up to his nickname. "As close as you can to the net and just a bit higher. I'll try."

Kageyama doesn't say anything, so she throws him the ball to alleviate the silence before it gets awkward. She takes a deep breath, preparing herself for the worst. If she falls, it will be a big blow to her image. If she hits, how damn happy she would be. She is in a room full of boys, and she sure as hell would try to impress a few of them. Seeing Kageyama toss the ball into the air, she starts running, like how Hinata does during practice. Run. Bend. Jump. Hit.

_Wham._

She jumps just tall enough for her hand to show above the net and hit the ball which Kageyama tosses at the exact spot, sending the ball shooting straight into the ground on the other side of the court. The sound it makes when it hits the ground didn't sound as loud or as satisfying as the sound produced by Hinata's spikes, nonetheless she hit. It isn't extraordinary, but that is all that matters.

She looks at the redness on her hand.

It feels good.

"Whoaahh!" Nishinoya and Tanaka cheer a little too loud from the benches, making Kihira think if they were just rubbing honey on her face. Her spike was weak, sloppy even. She almost lost the heft of the ball - the toss was too quick even though Kageyama sped it down for her. It wasn't anywhere near a real spiker's hits, and these boys have obviously seen thousands of better spikes before. They are impressed alright, only because she is a girl who doesn't play volleyball on a regular basis.

The other boys didn't have as impressed of an expression. The captain watched with a slightly arched brow, the third year and Yamaguchi Tadashi had their eyes widen a little while Sugawara mouthed 'wow'. Nevertheless, Tsukishima Kei remains an unimpressed look, as if he expected more.

Why did she agree to this.

"That's awesome!" Hinata shouts, running over to her. "You were like 'gwaa' then 'whoosh' then 'bam'!"

Kihira looks at him and smiles, but all she could think of was whether her skirt flew up too high up as she landed. She is never doing this again. It was too worrisome.

"Heey! Try that again!" Tanaka says with his hands cupped around his mouth."...but with a blocker!"

Kihira shakes her head. "No I don't want to-"

"Tsukki!" Nishinoya calls out to the tall blonde who just finished warming up. "Go block for her!"

Tsukishima narrows his eyes from where he sits. "Why do I have to?"

"Because you are a middle blocker, aren't you?"

"Well, I don't want to." Tsukishima bluntly says. "Get shrimpy to block. He's shorter. She has a better chance of scoring."

"Hey!" Hinata shouts.

"But Tsukki," Tanaka coos. "Don't you have to practise blocking? You couldn't block a lot of Aobajousai's spikes, couldn't ya?" He stops for a while. "Or are you just shy around girls? Ooh! I think I found Tsukishima's weakness!"

Tsukishima furrows his brows. "I'm not."

"Then?" Nishinoya prompts. "Why won't you block for Iruka-san here?"

Tsukishima was seething with frustration, but starts moving towards the court. Looks like Tanaka and Nishinoya shot a nail and Tsukishima stepped right on it. Clever. They worked around their words and pinpointed Tsukishima's weak point. The both of them must really have an animosity towards the blonde to bother going through such lengths ticking him off.

With just a few steps and he was already in the centre of the court. He is not pleased. She avoids any eye contact with him. As much as she wanted to turn tail and bolt out of the gym, Tsukishima was already standing on the opposite side of the net and Kageyama was already holding the ball. Taking a deep breath, she steps further from the net. Forget about her skirt. Since she is here, might as well do her best. She has to jump higher and slam the ball harder this time especially with a middle blocker now.

Kageyama tosses the ball. She follows through, running as quick as she can to keep up with the speed of the ball. Tsukishima's hands are held in front of him. She exerts maximum power. She bends. She leaps. She swings.

_Wham._

The sound Is beautiful, but what comes after isn't.

Instead of ricocheting off Tsukishima's arms like expected, it ricocheted off his_ face_. He growls at the impact when he lands, covering his face with his hands from everyone's sight. Everyone gasp. Yamaguchi and Nishinoya run over and assess him. Daichi freezes. Hinata winces. Tanaka yelps. Sugawara flinches.

"Tsukki!"

Kihira's heart stops.

She didn't look where she was aiming.

"Oh crap- I'm sorry!" She panics. For the first time, she feels genuinely afraid for hitting someone, especially someone with glasses. She hopes with all her strength that his spectacles didn't shatter into smithereens and enter his eyes. It's hard to tell as he is still shielding his face. What if he becomes blind? What if his face swells? What if she broke his cheekbones? Or nose? Or face altogether?

Tsukishima removes his glasses and presses the back of his arm to his eyes, hunching downwards. His glasses didn't break, but it doesn't make her feel any better. Is he crying? Feeling sucked into a warp of guilt, she ducks under the net and approaches him. Her hands hover over his shoulders, wanting to touch him to display a feel of regret and comfort, but they don't land. She ends up standing in front of him, hands placed awkwardly in midair, spewing out lines after lines of apologies. "I'm really sorry! Are you okay? Tsukishima?"

When he still doesn't respond, she looks up at Sugawara. "You need to get him to the infirmary." Sugawara nods and offers to take him there with Yamaguchi's company. As they direct and push him towards the exit, Kihira feels a lump at the pit of her stomach. It should be her who shoulders the responsibility and take him there, but then again he probably doesn't want to see her for as long as he lives.

_Crap._

Tsukishima Kei hates her.


	4. Chapter 4

She hasn't seen Tsukishima since then.

It doesn't agonize her to the extent she would knock on his door or track him down in hallways, but her mind still wasn't at ease knowing she slammed the face of Tsukishima Kei. She's not entirely concerned for his physical condition, but more for the possibility of him giving her searing wordless responses if they were to interact in the future. If it was anyone else she wouldn't be worried, but Tsukishima Kei? The stone-cold attitude of the blonde teen anguishes her a little. He had said curt things to Yamaguchi even when all he uttered was 'Let's eat, Tsukki!'. So besides being on her No-no list, males with icy temper also occupy a space on her Avoid Offending list.

Making people mad is one of her biggest fears.

It's odd she never sees him in school, be it the hallways, the cafeteria or his classroom after school ends. That guy is so godly tall, how could she miss him? She knows that he leaves for school much earlier than she does - after all, he does looks like the kind of person who wakes up the second they smell sunbeam. Anyone who can show up for volleyball practices at dawn is considered a morning person in her book. She on the contrary, is a nocturnal animal.

Kihira has contradictions, however. She wants to relieve herself of the qualms as soon as she can, yet avoids going anywhere he may step foot in. Akiyo didn't question her reason for not wanting to go to the gym the past two days, but went on babbling about how Kihira didn't appreciate the anatomical structure of the male body and the exceeded limit of testerones. Akiyo ended up dragging Hana with her instead. She didn't tell Akiyo about the incident, in fear her friend would rip her insides out for getting to be anywhere within a ten metre radius of her precious Kageyama-kun. God knows what her friend will do to her if she finds out she was anywhere around the boy.

Assuming she is now known and well-remembered for spiking a ball into Tsukishima's face, Kihira even refrains from showing her face around the volleyball team members. Yesterday she changed places with Yachi in the cafeteria so that her back would be facing Sugawara and the captain who was eating at the opposite table. They wouldn't maim her - she just didn't want to stoke the memory in their minds (hoping they had forgotten about it). Hopefully, they have forgotten about her too...

But it has only been three days.

Ending the last sentence of her essay, Kihira slams her pencil onto the table and pumps her fists into the air. She had decided to hang around in class to finish all her homework before going straight home. Akiyo was having taekwondo, nothing was needed to be done in the counselling department, and she just really wanted to head home, even if that meant alone. God forbid she run into anyone from the volleyball club (especially Tsukishima Kei) and she will be able to sleep tonight.

Hana hops over to her desk as she stuffs things into her rucksack. Kihira glances up. "So...how was your meeting with Akiyo's future husband?"

Hana chuckles. "Nothing disastrous. On the outside he's not bad, but on the inside..."

Kihira grins and pats her shoulder. "You get it. I'm so proud of you."

Hana gives her a lopsided smile. "He's kinda explosive. I didn't know he was Akiyo's type."

"Type?" Kihira zips up her bag. "Akiyo has a type?"

"I don't know...I was just assuming, you know," Hana looks around before whispering. "Considering they are both quite explosive."

"Ah, you have a point." Kihira rubs her chin, trying to picture Akiyo and Kageyama as a couple. "But I don't think love has 'types', Hana."

Hana dramatically holds up both hands. "Iruka Kihira, the experienced love expert speaks!"

Kihira snorts. "Experienced? You know I have zero experience in this field."

"How would I know? We didn't know each other until the last few weeks of middle school. What if you had someone you never told me about, eh?"

"Don't be ridiculous. All of my love knowledge comes from daily observations of other people's failed relationships." Kihira says, then leans towards her friend and peruses her, askance. "What about you, Yamanaka Hana? Had your first kiss?"

"Like a guy would ever take interest in me." Hana sighs as Kihira pulls away and aligns her textbooks. "That aside, what's _your_ type?"

"My type?" Kihira echoes. "I don't have a type."

"Aww, everyone has a type, Kira."

"Love don't have types, Hana. You fall for whoever your hormones decide to fall for. It's messed up as hell."

Hana gives her a look. "Wow. You are really pessimistic when it comes to love, aren't you?"

"Not that pessimistic. Getting into a relationship at this age is kinda not my thing." She fiddles with the dolphin keychain on her bag. She's seen enough to know that most relationships during school never last till marriage. "I guess saying people have types is kinda presumptuous because you never know for sure."

Hana raises her two hands dramatically again. Kihira sneers and zips up her bag. "Well, if you believe in 'types', what's yours?"

A wide smile plasters itself onto Hana's face. "A nice, caring, calm and responsible guy. Oh, he must be funny too!"

"Ooh. Tough luck."

"Heeyy."

"Sorry Hana! It just sounds like you're asking for a pot of gold." Kihira lifts her bag from the chair. "People have flaws, you know. You can't have everything."

"I knooow." Hana pouts and crosses her arms over her chest. "Why can't all guys be perfect, like those in novels and dramas?"

Kihira smiles. "You ask for too much, don't you?"

"Hmhm." Hana shrugs and skips to her bag pack. "Do you?"

Kihira shrugs. "Whatever my hormones decide."

* * *

Halfway into her drawing, loud persistent knocks bang against her bedroom door.

"What?" Kihira holds her tongue from snapping at the door, more peeved at the loud noise than the sudden interruption. A raven head pokes into her room, eyes land on her sitting frame on the bed. Shiro merely intones flatly. "Dinner's ready."

Kihira drops her sketchbook onto the white pristine mattress and strolls out after her brother, keeping a deluge of whinging from escaping her ears. The next time he hits on the door like that, she will not hesitate to tell him off as nice as her peace-loving mind allows.

Her three other family members were already seated around the marble dining table. Kihira and her brother take their seats, and dinner commenced without a word from her father on her late arrival, fortunately.

This was how it always was every night, for the last fifteen years. Having dinner with the presence of every family member is an Iruka custom, that way it keeps the bonds strong and the members close. Neither Kihira nor her siblings complained. In fact, Kihira likes it this way. A strong family is a happy one, and they are one hell of a happy one. Teases, laughter and lame dad jokes were thrown around the table during this time of the day - the only time they can have a cozy, bonding time together. Her father drilled this habit into their brains like magic, unknowingly and effectively.

Tonight is just like any other night.

"So children, " Her father quips amicably, as if he knew his next words were going to irk his children. "How was school to-"

"Boooorinnnggg." Kanna echoes beside Kihira, making their father sneer. "It will always be boring."

"And you two?"

"Meh."

"Yamato was appointed scout captain." Shiro says, shrugging. "I got troop leader."

"That's better than nothing." Their mother says. "What about you?"

Kihira looks up from her piece of pork gyoza she was poking around with. "Me?"

"Yes. Have you found a extracurricular activity?"

Kihira stares at the minced pork poking out of the gyoza, mentally embracing herself. "No..."

"Why haven't you?"

"Haven't found anything I like."

"You won't know until you try." Her mother picks up a piece of maki from her plate. "Try the archery or the charity club, or the school band."

"I don't like school bands."

"Basketball?" Shiro suggests.

"They already have a school team."

"Track team?"

"...no thank you."

"Then when will you ever do something?" Her mother admonishes in an exasperated tone.

"I'm looking, I'm looking."

"Give her time." The man of the house says to his wife. "No point in doing something you don't like."

Kihira points at her father and looks at her mother. "This."

Her mother sighs in defeat. "Do something useful so you would have something to say in your resumé, or you won't get into a decent university."

"Yes, I knooow." Kihira soughs, slightly annoyed. This is a conversation they've had a million times. Resumé, resumé, resumé. Everything her mother drills her to do is all for a piece of paper. Where is the joy in this? Trying every single club would only be a waste of time and energy. Her plan is to hang back first, ask her friends about the clubs then decide what she likes. As much as she's unwilling to admit, a part of her is lazy and demotivated to do anything, but her life needs spices. She's tired of it being boring and regimental.

Feeling degraded, she eats in contemplating silence the next few minutes, half-heartedly partaking in some of their next conversations. Her father seems to have notice her silence and clears his throat. "So, how did you come back from school today?"

Kihira glances up. "I walked back."

"Didn't ride with Akiyo?"

"I didn't want to bother her mother."

Her mother sets down her chopsticks. "Don't you have anyone to walk home with?"

A name comes up in her mind but she pushes it away. "No one I know lives in this route."

"What about Kei?"

Of course she would say that, much to Kihira's dismay. Of all people, she just _has_ to bring him up. She almost killed said boy with a volleyball and here her mother was, nonchalantly having his name rolled off her tongue and is probably going to ask her to walk with him. Nothing ever gets past her mother in this house.

"I barely know him, and you know how he is. The guy is antisocial."

"Then why don't you talk to him?" Her father suggests, popping a fishcake into his mouth.

Kihira narrows her eyes at her parents. "Since when did you guys not mind me hanging around boys?" She looks to her father. "Whatever happened to 'If a boy touches you I will castrate you both'?"

Kanna and Shiro laughs. Their old man straightens up in his chair and smirks. "Better than having to look behind you every five seconds, no?"

She grins. "I have a pocket knife with me."

"Goodness gracious, Kira." Her mother admonishes upon hearing the word. "One of these days you're going to stab yourself with that thing."

Shiro made it a point to dramatically gasp at his mother's interpretation of a knife. The man of the house, a knife enthusiast himself who successfully instilled the passion of knives to his two older children (much to his wife's dismay), steps in. "It's a switchblade. It's safe."

"If it stabs hers or any of your buttocks don't come running to me for bandages!"

Shiro laughs. "That's would hurt, but we won't die. Didn't you hear what happened to Jogoya-san? Went out hunting with his buddy and got shot in the butt by accident. Came out alive."

Kihira points at her brother. "See?"

Her mother gives her a dangerous look. Deciding to end the discussion, her father harrumphes, catching his daughter's attention. "Just tag along with him or something. This is for your safety, you know."

She is too tired to argue with anyone now. Resisting the urge to sigh, Kihira stabs her fishball with her chopsticks. "I knooww."

"Make sure you do it."

"Yeesss."

Needless to say, Tsukishima Kei is the last person she would go to.

* * *

The air is fresh, the evening sky is smiling, the birds are chirping, and the trees are rustling.

Kihira is plugged to her earphones.

Kihira hums to the melody of the song playing into her ears as she arranges Kanna's handkerchief over the clothing line. Chores are a drag, but music never fails to make them endurable, or less painful as Shiro would say. She hangs the last article of clothing and heaves a breath. She looks around the spacious back garden. Not feeling like going into the house yet, she strolls over to her mother's row of potted plants aligned against the low concrete wall and squats to check the roses. Apart from a few that has withered and has yet to bloom, the others have grown into beautiful blossoms of blood red.

She sits there and hums a little longer, barely hitting a high note and going off-pitch. She cringes in agony and inwardly snickers at herself. She hopes she didn't sound too loud. All the singing Shiro does when it's his turn to wash the dishes were already enough for all their neighbours to go mad. Really, she knows better than to embarrass herself in her garden where only fences mounted on concrete dividers separate houses.

Feeling her legs starting to sore, she stands up and stretches, her eyes glazing up- only to meet a pair of golden brown pupils peering at her over the white-coated fence.

Kihira gasps and jumps. She recomposes shortly after evaluating who those pair of eyes belongs to. She presses a palm to her chest, calming her heartbeat. She can't see the bottom half of his face, but she can feel him chortling behind the fence.

"You sing horrible." He remarks first.

She narrows her eyes at the derisive boy. "I wasn't singing. I was humming."

"Either way, you're horrible."

Is this boy taking revenge for the ball incident?

But Tsukishima Kei talked to her. His face doesn't seem bruised and the same glasses still sits on the bridge of his nose. Kihira feels a wave of relief wash over her.

Getting into an argument on self-dignity with someone like Tsukishima is pointless. Kihira removes her earphones and intones flatly. "What do you want, Tsukishima?"

Tsukishima says nothing and only points behind her. She looks abaft over her shoulder. There in the middle of the grass patch of her green garden sits a volleyball. He was playing volleyball? She must have not realized due to the music she was listening to. She picks it up and throws it over the fence, careful not to hit his face this time. Tsukishima mumbles something inaudible and leaves the fence. He's so incredibly tall he doesn't even need to stand on his toes to look over the fence. Kihira walks towards the divider and positions her foot in the gap between the concrete divider and the fence, pushing herself up to stand on the concrete while hooking her arms around the top of the fence to stabilise herself. She sees the whole of Tsukishima's back garden, embellished with abundance potted plants of various kinds. Looks like their mothers aren't very different.

She watches Tsukishima stand in the middle of the space. Clad in a grey shirt and a pair of casual black slacks, he has his back facing her, bouncing the ball apathetically. Not actually playing volleyball. She presses her lips together, mustering up the courage to say something.

"Hey Tsukishima."

He stops bouncing and turns to look at her.

"I'm really, really sorry about that day."

He doesn't say anything for a while, before proceeding to bounce his ball again. "Mhm."

"What?"

"It's. Fine." He grumbles out, casting her a dirty look. She finds it somewhat funny and smirks. Tsukishima Kei, a complex character packed with snide comments, a spiteful attitude and a knack for getting annoyed - yet this is the first time she's seen or heard him say 'It's fine'. Ameyuri despises him, Akiyo doesn't even need to talk to him to hate him, and Kihira can tell he's trouble just by the way he acts around Karasuno Volleyball Club members.

But there is more to Tsukishima than that cold, snappy exterior. She has seen his quiet side. As much as she's reluctant to admit, she has felt urged to go over and talk to him during dinner gatherings (if it wasn't because of those headphones), thinking he was feeling lonely and just socially awkward. But now she knows that's not the case. He just hates people in general.

Assuming Tsukishima has been like this for a long time, he must have dealt with all kinds of reaction from all kinds of people - but all the same. Either pissed, disgruntled or I-am-going-to-stab-you looks. Kihira however, will not feed him those responses. She refuses to satisfy him, if that is what making him pleased. He doesn't seem to respect anyone, not even Yamaguchi, so if he is patronizing and dissing on everyone, she needs to maneuver her way around so he wouldn't do the same to her.

Tsukishima turns around and finds Kihira still standing at the fence. He narrowed his eyes. "What?"

"Nothing." Kihira jumps down from the fence, slightly astonished by his rudeness and mumbles a little too loud, "No wonder the low score on that psychometric test..."

A split second later Tsukishima's nose was on the fence. "What did you say?"

She doesn't look at him. "I don't think I said anything."

Tsukishima is not pleased. "What psychometric test?"

Kihira finally meets his eyes, feeling unusually bold today. "I said nothing. You need to get your ears checked."

Disconcerted, he utters back. "And you need to get your vocal cords fixed."

"Maybe. But I don't like singing anyways. You, on the other hand, listen to music all the time, no?"

"I can hear perfectly fine."

"You know what, just forget what I said." Kihira plugs her earphones in and pretends that the grass grew a hundred times more interesting, hoping this stance would avert him off.

Baffled but refusing to look like a desperate puppy, Tsukishima steps away from the fence and put on his headphones. He could care less about the numbers on a psychological test that does no impact on his life. As they both continue to putter around their respective back gardens, a new regard develops.

* * *

**A/N : Well, sorry for the rather blunt and plain chapter, I will get my shit together soon.**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: I can't believe it took me 16,000 words to realize that present tense is not suited for this story after all. This was a matter I debated a lot over, because I've always written in past tense and wanted to try something different, but now damn me. However, I don't think I will be reverting to past tense - I started with present, imma stick with present.**

**And thank you for tuning in to the fifth episode of How To Deal With A Baby With Brother Issues! In this long gruesome episode you can expect to see some profanities uttered by our very own protagonist (oooo how exciting), more Kihira-Tsukishima interaction, a new side of Kihira, Ameyuri as well as Hana that we've never seen, and the very anticipated appearance of a certain bedheaded volleyball team captain that all the girls here just can't help but swoon over (Kuroo is mine, and if anyone tells me otherwise imma cut a bitch).**

**For warning, this chapter is what earned this story a T rating, that means swear words are involved and...some other things (I don't want to spoil anything, but don't get your hopes too high - no one is banging anyone). So sit back and read. And forgive my grammar mistakes.**

* * *

"Can I suggest something?"

Kihira yawns as soon her friend utters the words, not from boredom, but from exhaustion. They have been filing sheets of paper into maroon folders since the bell rang, and now she knows that it takes approximately three hours of repetitive paper-shuffling to plant the idea of slamming her head against the wall into her mind. When they were done, she let her mind recuperate by listening to Ameyuri ramble about parents who ask for too much, and would frequently add in a verse or two from her own experience.

Ameyuri is a pleasant person to be around, albeit her vivid and funny comments that made Kihira cough up her water more times than she'd admit. She's cool-headed, handled things well and has a great sense of humour, especially when it came to humouring her classmates. It's a bonus she wasn't the kind that likes to gossip or flail like a lovestruck little girl. Her bluntness is her charm, and she wielded it whenever someone needed her consultant. Kihira was never the consulting type of person, nor was she the type that opened up about thoughts and woes. She hasn't had friends who were like that (Akiyo was more of the comedic type than the feel-y type, and Hana was too simple-minded), so when Ameyuri rolled in, despite her feeling hesitant about it, she figured it was time she opened up to someone for once . After all, trust works two ways.

"You most probably want to join a sports team, right?" Ameyuri asks, legs propped on top of the white table as they speak. "Given any thoughts about the softball team? We need members."

"I barely know anything about softball." Kihira says. A feminine demographic of baseball comes to mind, and she immediately chastises herself for making ignorant assumptions. "What is it like?"

"Well, it's like the softer and female version of baseball." Ameyuri replies, not catching the inaudible snort from her brunette friend. "But you should come and try it someday, who knows, it may be your new thing. And it's pretty fun, I guarantee you won't be locked in a room and tormented to vomit your creative guts onto a piece of paper in ink."

"Yeah, maybe I will." Kihira says, contemplating her choice. Softball is by far the only suggestion that appealed to her even though the only sure knowledge she has of it is running and ass-tight pants are involved. She makes a mental note to search it up on the web when she gets home.

"Anyways," Ameyuri says as she puts her feet down again and reaches for her bag. "I'll be leaving soon. See you tomorrow."

Kihira waves and exits the room, thinking she might as well reward herself at the vending machines after a hard day. Upon reaching, she inserts a coin and pushes a few buttons before a can of grape soda tumbles into the cartridge. She picks up her purchase, pulls off the pin with an easy nail grip and takes her first gulp.

Fingers hugging around the chilled can, she shuffles down the corridor near the second gymnasium. The usual noises screaming athletics were heard. The Volleyball Club must be tiring themselves to death again. She was about to walk past the gymnasium when an object kisses her shoes.

Kihira looks down at a round item in green, white and red spiral patterns. She glances up at the entrance, her gaze meeting a pair of orbs that belongs to a tall, built boy she's never seen before. Donned in a red and black jersey, he runs his fingers through his bedheaded hair and waves at her. He points to the ball at her feet.

"Sorry! Ball please?"

Kihira picks up the ball with her left free hand and tosses it to him in an underarm sweeping motion, and made sure she threw hard and high enough for the boy to catch it. To her self satisfaction, it lands accurately into his hands. Looks like those hours of playing basketball with her brother didn't go to the dumps after all.

"Thanks!" The boy flashes her a grateful yet playful grin. She gives him a lopsided smile as he filed back into the gym. Through the gaps of the door she could see others boys clad in the same red jersey shooting volleyballs into the air.

She raises a brow. It was normal for schools to have practice matches against each other as a way to strengthen the team's gameplay and rectify their flaws, not to mention collect some information on the opposing team just in case they were to face each other in real competitions. Most of these visits to schools tend to turn into a somewhat degraded version of an espionage, but that was a risk most school teams were willing to take. And it builds friendships. Karasuno rarely had practice matches in the home ground, however, especially whenever Kihira happened to be around, so she wasn't going to pass up the chance of taking a glimpse of students from another school. Now she was feeling like one of those typical teenage girls who just wants to look at boys from other schools as she approaches the entrance.

Except, she reminds herself, she isn't one of those typical teenage girls who just wants to look at boys from other schools.

She pushes open the door and enters quietly, not wanting to attract any attention. Swiftly, she makes it for the stands as soon as the whistle was blown.

When she got there she lets loose a breath in relief and leans her hands against the baluster. She looks around the stands and find no other audience in the gym. That's a pity. Where are all the rabid hormonally insane teenage girls when she needs them? She was hoping she wouldn't be the only one there watching the match.

Can still to her lips, her eyes look down. The boys were lined up in two, one row of boys in their signature black and orange jersey and the other in red and black. All of their foreheads were glistening under the bright fluorescent lights. This isn't their first match. They bow towards each other and move to their positions. Karasuno was on her left, all of them looking revved up for the game, especially the bald one who was hollering taunting words to the other side of the court. Tsukishima Kei was on the left back of the team, looking as disinterested in the world around him than ever. Even Akiyo's beloved Kageyama-kun was working up a facial expression.

Despite being in the gym more than a few times she liked, Kihira has never paid much attention to Tsukishima's gameplay. The only ones who stood out in court were the ginger, Akiyo's beloved Kageyama-kun and sometimes when he's screaming something passionate, the buzz cut. She was never really watching them play when she was with Akiyo, mostly staring off into a distant space or once had her eyes fixed on the two sparrows mating on the windowsills outside.

So when the game started without her realising and the first score went to the opposing team when Tsukishima so deliberately failed to block an easy spike, she sneered. Either this boy bribed his way into the team, or Karasuno really didn't have any better members. Either way, the club was in deep shit. The other team, whose name she later learnt was Nekoma, was doing much better as a team, as an overall than Karasuno. They don't have particularly strong offense power, but they manage to keep the ball off the floor most times. Karasuno Volleyball team was falling out, Akiyo had told her a few weeks back, but was getting back on track with some pretty spontaneous strategies and fresh members, mostly the courtesy of Kageyama-kun (Kihira rolled her eyes at this) and the insane jump-height Hinata Shouyo kept persistently achieving. The boy was a fireball when it came to volleyball.

Maybe the team wasn't in such a deep shit.

Though it surprises her that Tsukishima Kei isn't. Each time Nekoma's ace makes a spike, he made an effort to jump, but not an effort to block, resulting in another point for Nekoma. And he just walks back to his position nonchalantly. It doesn't seem like he is that into volleyball, seeing him making such small efforts to block, so why even bother playing? Each passing score lost to Nekoma because of his demotivation, Kihira finds herself glued to his figure on the court, and the more she felt irritated by it.

Then her mind makes a detour, like always. It wasn't her place to feel irritated, really, when she is the one without a club.

Lips on her grape soda can, she watches Tsukishima serve as she etches the current score to the back of her head. 15-17. And Nekoma is leading. He makes the jump and slams the ball to the other side of the court, only to be received by their libero. The ball bounces upwards to the heft of their setter, before being tossed to their captain who stands right in front of Tsukishima. They glance at each other, before jumping simultaneously with their outstretched arms. The volleyball spirals off the captain's palm to Tsukishima's and slams down onto Nekoma's ground.

"Good one, Tsukki!"

"Don't mind, don't mind!"

Kihira lets loose a breath she doesn't realise she's been holding. Her eyes scan the Nekoma captain and it hits her that he's the same boy from outside the gym earlier. She takes a sip of her drink. There is so much her female schoolmates are missing out on right now.

When her eyes sweep over to Karasuno's side, her breath hitches. Tsukishima spots her at the stands. They lock eyes for a brief moment, before Kihira averts her orbs onto Nishinoya almost too quickly, and rather naturally. For some reason she couldn't bring herself to look straight at him for longer than two seconds after that backyard encounter. She isn't usually as bold as that day, but she wasn't ashamed and doesn't regret what she did to irk him. She doesn't mind losing, but it displeases her that she just lost an eye contact game to someone she never meant to look at in the first place.

Losing an eye contact game also meant that she doesn't get to see the insignificant smirk gracing Tsukishima's lips as he breaks his gaze, but she bet he did it. There is no possible way Tsukishima Kei would beat her in a staring competition and not somewhat celebrate to himself - if he even knew there was a competition, that is. He was perhaps, only taking childish pride in besting her at her own game.

Or maybe, he was smirking at something utterly irrelevant. Or maybe he wasn't smirking at all.

Kihira mentally kicks herself and takes a big gulp of her grape soda, brows furrowing at the opposite stands. She's over-analyzing him. She needs to get herself together before she starts doing the same to everything and everyone else, so she resumes watching the game. Her eyes dart around the court as they follow the ball, from when it leaves the hands of the Nekoma's libero, to Karasuno's captain, on towards Nekoma's setter to Nekoma's ace.

Tsukishima leaps in sync with the ace once again, but not in full power as Karasuno's number 3 did. His hands are stretched out lean and straight without a quiver, seeming as if he isn't even planning to move his hands if the ball diverts. Just as expected, Nekoma's ace slams the ball dangerously close to Tsukishima's left arm, but far enough to evade it, scoring a match point for Nekoma.

Kihira sighs. She guzzles down the remaining drink in her can before leaving the stands. She knows who wins. As she tears the can away from her mouth, the whistle blows, signalling the end of who-knows-what-number-sequence practice matches between Karasuno and Nekoma.

"One more time!"

Groans erupt from all around, making Kihira chuckle to herself as she descends the stairs with the empty can. She wants to leave as soon and as quick as possible while they are all lying pissed-dead on the floor, so she scurries down the last remaining steps and heads towards the door.

As she was walking, from her peripheral vision she could see a panting Tsukishima looking at her from his position, probably wondering what she was doing here. As their eyes meet again, this time instead of shying away, Kihira very boldly gives him a lopsided smile, something close to a polite smirk, its intention unknown to even herself, before exiting the gymnasium and into the safe hands of whatever is outside.

Just when she could heave a sigh of relief, a voice she hasn't register in quite a while calls out to her in an uncomfortably high volume.

"Iruka-san!"

Her body tenses up, and slowly swivels around towards the gym. Just as expected, a couple dozen pairs of eyes glance to her direction, with one pair belonging to Karasuno's very flamboyant libero.

But the pair closest to the entrance is golden, hidden behind spectacles and piercing at her like daggers at a bamboo frame.

"Iruka-san!" Nishinoya waves, accompanied by his excruciatingly loud volume yet again. "A ball rolled out! Can you get it for us?"

How he even knew her name, she doesn't even have the luxury to explore at the moment as eyes are watching her. She scans the corridor cursorly. "I don't see anything."

"It's right there." Tsukishima points behind one of the pillars as he so grudgingly states. She cranes her neck to the side, and spots a ball cunningly hidden behind the pole, before inching her way there and picking it up.

When she does and turns around, Tsukishima was standing at the door looking more distasteful than usual, like he was forced to babysit an eight year old with ADHD. And she thought that polite smirk would change something. Dispelling the thought of tossing it at him, she walks towards him with an equally disgusted look on her face, and handed it to him.

"You know, you're really pissy for your age." She doesn't forget to add. She's really not acting like herself these days.

He accepts the ball with a scornful expression, his sharp gaze stabbing through hers before veering back into the gym without a word. She stares at his back for a split second, wondering if she would ever reach the day where he says more than two words to her, before walking away from the gymnasium, shuddering at the thought of his aura. He is someone she wouldn't want to offend, yet she feels as if she has already dug her own grave.

She looks around for a trash can before another more familiar voice says her name. She spins around.

"Kira? What are you doing here?"

* * *

"Ughh..."

Kihira slams her face into her book with a loud thud, making Yachi Hitoka flinch beside her. It is the third time she has done that in the past half hour, and Yachi is beginning to worry about the possibility of her friend getting a concussion. Whatever it is that's bothering her, Yachi is going to put and end to it. Putting down her pen, she leans towards the brunette to inspect her state. Iruka, face buried in a mass of scribbled math formulas and digits in black ink, murmurs something into the papers, otherwise remains quiet. This scares Yachi, because Kihira hasn't stayed down this long the last two times.

"Umm...Iruka-san? Are you okay?"

Kihira turns her head towards Yachi, cheeks still pressing against her desk. Black ink smears across her nose. "I'm fine. Maths is killing me."

"Oh." So that was what it is. Rather inconsequential after all. "I can help you, if you want me to."

"Oh thanks." Kihira sits up and holds out her book before rubbing her eyes. "Question nine."

Yachi studies the question. It didn't take her long before she hands it back to her. "Okay, so you see...you subtract this from a hundred and eighty degrees because opposite angles add up to a hundred and eighty degrees..."

Kihira abruptly takes the book from Yachi, making the girl jump. She scrutinizes the diagram again before coming to a realization. "Ohhh. I didn't see that. Thanks!" She grins to herself and picks up her pen. She looks at Yachi's state and places her hand on the girl's shoulder. "Sorry about that. You okay?"

"I should be asking you that, Iruka-san. You hit your head three times!"

"I'm fine." She assures the fretted girl. "It's not like I was going to kill myself."

Yachi smiles as Kihira starts scribbling away again. The teacher had errands to run and excused herself from the class for a few minutes, so they have some time to eliminate a few assignments and chit-chat while she's gone. Seeing as other students were shooting the breeze as well, Yachi scoots a little closer to Kihira and watches as the tip of her pen sprawls about the paper.

"Hey Yachi?"

"Hmm?"

"Do you have a club?"

Yachi gently presses her elbow on the table. "No...should I join one?"

Kihira looks up from her book. "I guess you should. It would make your high school life a lot more interesting."

Yachi muses for a while. "True. But I can't really do anything..."  
"Then learn, right? That's what club activities are for, I guess." Kihira replies. She doesn't stiffen at the irony of her words. "Maybe...be a club manager?"

"Club manager? But..."

"Aww come on, you need to break out of your shy girl exterior anyways," She suggests.

"Ahh maybe?"

Kihira couldn't help but smile at how much they were similar in this aspect. Clueless and decision-less. "I was just wondering if you could tell me about some clubs, since you know, I'm clubless and indecisive."

"Oh, I heard Yamanaka-san talking about that." Yachi says. "You seem like you really need to get into a club."

She sighs. "Yep. Mom. Boring school life. Inactive social life. All that rot. I need change, or else my life is dead." She hits her head against the table again as Yachi cringes. "Why...why..."

"Maybe I can help you?" Yachi offers. "I...I can tell you if I find anything interesting."

Kihira slowly turns her head towards Yachi, more ink doting her nose as she does so, eyes growing big. "You will?"

"Yes! Just...don't hit your head again!"

Kihira gives her an absent-minded look, before laughing, startling the poor girl in the process. "I appreciate it, but don't go spending so much time on it. It's not a big deal, really. Hey, we can help each other look for clubs."

Yachi grins in relief. "Sure! Uh, how about Art Club? Yamanaka-san said it's great for artistic people."

"She already refused." A new voice joins their conversation before Kihira could deflect the subtle compliment. She and Yachi watch as Hana brings a chair over and sits with them, giving them a wide grin. "Kihira said it 'isn't her type'."

"Yeah, I can be a bit, uh, picky when it comes to club participation." Kihira cautiously admits. "But I'll be open to suggestions."

"Define open." Hana teases. Kihira narrows her eyes at her.

"You can't be Hana. Where did my sweet little Hana go?"

Hana giggles and shakes her head. "It's all Akiyo's fault."

"I can see how. Is she still dragging you along with her to the gym?" Kihira asks, resuming to her recondite mathematical problems with Yachi watching and listening beside her.

"Yes...can you take your shift back?"

Kihira laughs softly, mildly amused by this new version of Hana. Just how big of an impact did a few trips to the gym and a hormonal rabid fangirl did to innocent Hana? Akiyo was tainting the poor girl.

"I really have no reason to be there, but I guess I just have to assume responsibility." Kihira knocks the end of her pen against her book repeatedly and thinks about having to go back to that place again. She frowns when she realises that the last time she was there was just yesterday, and that a certain blonde boy could be found in that place. Now she's starting to regret saying anything to him.

"Aww it's not that bad, really. There is this one guy who would occasionally take off his shirt and cel-"

"I did not need to know that. And since when were you into muscular guys?"

"I never said he's muscular." Hana clarifies, not noticing Yachi spluttering at the sidelines from the mental image of a topless boy. "But he's kinda toned? Not very toned, like muscular or anything, but he has the build. He has probably been playing volleyball for pretty long now."

"The Volleyball Club?" Yachi finally piques up.

"Yep." Hana nods. "The boys are a little crazy, but they are pretty entertaining to watch. Bless their captain and manager though. Some of them are pretty cute too."

Kihira shoots her an odd, disdainful, to which she replies, "What?"

"I bet Akiyo would die to be their manager." Kihira remarks, realising rather late that Yachi was with them, giving her a puzzled look. She quickly adds. "She just loooves muscles."

Hana winces at the save and stifles a laughter, despite Yachi knowing that Akiyo is not particularly muscle person, which Akiyo revealed on one occasion - maybe just the ones of one particular boy. "Akiyo is already in Taekwondo, so no matter how much she loves muscles she's not leaving sport she loves. The only sport that allows her to kick some crotches and break some legs."

As if on cue, a raven-haired girl pokes into their area. "I heard my name."

Hana turns around as Yachi and Kihira look at their new member. "Oh hi Akiyo."

Their friend grins and slams her hands on Hana's shoulders, making the girl yelp. "Tell me, what were you talking about? Backstabbing me eh?"

"No no...it's nothing!"

"I demand you hand over the intel!" Akiyo says with a dramatic deep growl, making Yachi and Kihira chortle.

"No!"

"Yaass! Or I will unleash my fury!" Akiyo violently shakes Hana, making the poor girl gag and choke while giggling through her throat. Yachi didn't have enough seconds to stop the mini fiasco before Hana's movements hit Kihira's water bottle that was standing idly at the edge of the table. They watch in horror as the bottle tip over and hit the floor, spilling out the contents in the bottle. A puddle forms below where they sit and beyond, earning a few displeased looks from their surrounding classmates.

It takes them a few seconds to register what happened.

"I...am so sorry." Hana says, still stoned to her chair. Akiyo merely laughs as Yachi stares at the floor. Kihira sighs and rubs her temple.

"Joy."

* * *

Recess is typically a time for students to satisfy growling stomachs. However, for three girls in particular, they have to clean up a wet mess.

"Are you sure you don't need help?" Yachi asks the trio who are going to be the only ones in the class for the next few minutes or so. Tables and chairs from the accident scene were moved away, revealing a stained white-tiled floor. To make things worse, it wasn't plain water that was in Kihira's bottle, but soya bean milk. Akiyo and Kihira were already armed with mops the moment Hana and the bucket arrived.

"Nah, it's fine." Kihira says as she beholds the milky puddle at her feet. She decided to stay back and help in cleaning up the place with the two troublemakers just to make sure Akiyo does a good job on her part. She does not fancy the idea of having ants at her feet for the rest of her school year. What a day to be bringing soya bean milk to school. "The offenders have to take responsibility."

Akiyo snorts. "Hey! Are you implying I'm irresponsible?" She points the tip of her mop towards her face. "I am the most responsible warrior of the East!"

"Why are you speaking all noble-y." Kihira says as she picks up her now empty bottle. "Great Warrior of the East, you cracked my bottle."

"Yes yes I'm sorry."

"Okay...so I'll just go for recess." Yachi says, taking little hesitant steps towards the door. "Umm...thank you for cleaning my place! And take care!"

After Yachi left, Akiyo shakes her head as she dips her mop into the bucket of water Hana brought in. "She's so frustratingly cute."

"Oh I did not know you swing that way, Akiyo." Kihira chaffs, waiting for her turn to dip her mop.

"Hey, you know my sexual orientation, and how I feel about boys."

"Like Kageyama-kun?" Hana pipes in, hand steadying the bucket as Akiyo lifts up the mop.

"Yes. Like Kageyama-kun." Akiyo says, face heating up. She leans her mop against a nearby table and slaps her cheeks. "Don't say his name so boldly!"

Kihira almost roll her eyes, and suddenly has a wild thought. "You might be straight, but I don't know about Kageyama."

Akiyo, who was just starting to mop the floor, stops and turns to look at her. "What do you mean?"

"Oh I don't know...he looks like the kind of guy who would rather hump a volleyball."

Akiyo explodes. "What?! Ewww!"

"How do you think he does it with the volleyball though?" Kihira says as she put a finger to her chin. She makes a gesture with her hands that looks like a train ramming into a wall. "Where does he...stick his thing in?"

"Oh my god shut up!"

Hana doubles over in laughter, then recovers a little to chip in. "Oh! The air hole?"

"Oh yes! But that's not big enou- oh wait of course it is."

Akiyo cries out in disdain and holds her head, before pointing at her guffawing friends and raising her voice. "Iruka Kihira! And Yamanaka Hana! Kneel down this instant you fools!"

Kihira and Hana ignore her orders and continues choking at the ground, more at the mental image stuck in their brains than the rowdy statement. Hana was laughing especially the loudest. "I'm dying! I'm dying!"

Seeing as her friends paid her no heed, she tries again. "What is wrong with the both of you today? What are you- on crack or something?"

"Sort of." Kihira's laughter started to die down, then a grin makes its way to her face. "Considering you 'cracked' my bottle."

Akiyo stares at her friend, mouth hung wide open at the sudden pun as Hana plunges her into another deep fit of laughter. Akiyo moves forward to slash at Kihira with her mop and banters. "Iruka Kihira!"

Kihira blocks Akiyo's blow with her own mop. She jumps out of the way before Akiyo could land another one, guffawing as she does so. She usually wouldn't risk getting caught dead having a sword fight with cleaning appliances in a school compound, but the moment was too amazing to come to a halt. A childish antic once or twice wouldn't hurt.

Watching Kihira scurry away from her, Akiyo sighs and shakes her head, with an I-give-up-on-these-people look on her face. "Well- at least I'm not friends with a giraffe!"

Kihira stops at the sudden mention of an animal. "What? Giraffe?"

Akiyo smirks deviously. "Oh come on, Kihira, you know who I am talking about. 'Big boy next door'?"

"What what? Who is that? Why do I not know something?" Hana glances at Akiyo, then to Kihira, who was flaring her nostrils at the girl in disbelief.

"We are just neighbours." Kihira waves her off and grabs her mop. "I have nothing on that guy and you know that."

"Ohh? Explain why you were at the gym yesterday, talking to him?" Akiyo grins, fingers still hugging around the mop.

"I told you, Akiyo. Was just there to watch a good match." Kihira explains, dragging her mop across the wet floor. "And I just happen to stumble into him."

"Liar!" Akiyo points her mop at her in a sweeping motion. "I demand the truth and nothing but the truth!"

"Our conversation wasn't even pleasant!"

"Liaaaarr!" Akiyo playfully charges at her with her weapon. Kihira instinctively swings her mop upwards to block her without realising the cause. Droplets of liquid from her mop came crashing down on Akiyo, staining her uniform. Hana yelps. Kihira gasps.

"Oh- I'm sorry!" Kihira cringes as Akiyo gapes down at her state. She wasn't drenched, but with that soya bean milk-splattered top, there was no guarantee it could be washed off.

Slowly turning her head up, Akiyo gives Kihira a harmless glare and raises her mop high towards the ceiling. With fury, she lets out her war cry, "War is declaaaared!"

"Oi wait!" Kihira tries to stop her but Akiyo was already charging at her with full bull speed, her mop clenched tightly in her fingers. She swings the mop at Kihira but the girl manages to dodge it by side-stepping the last second. Kihira grins. "Missed!"

"I'll get you! Come back here!" Akiyo starts chasing Kihira around the classroom, both armed with their make shift weapons and murder intent. Hana could only watch from the side and cringe whenever their mops collide against each other.

"Guys! Don't shout too loud!" Hana warns, wary of teachers who often walk by classrooms during break time. Seeing her friends' childish antics and current situation, she decided there was really no point in stopping them anymore. Now she wasn't sure if she wanted to clap and laugh or join them.

Kihira runs to the other end of the class and holds out her mop with both hands. "Behold the power of my light saber!"

"Hah!" Akiyo snorts and veers her mop at her, causing their swords to hit against each other. She swings hard enough for Kihira to stumble a little, but not enough for her to fall to her butt. "Thou shall hath no mercy!"

"Oh you think you're so great with the archaic language?" Kihira taunts and dodges Akiyo's fourth blow. She ducks out of the way before her friend could land a fifth one and sprints towards the front of the class. She spots an empty table and climbs onto it, now standing on the wooden desk tremendously surpassing her opponent in height. She strikes a war pose, sticking her mop up high in the air. "Have at thee! I will heave on the gorge on thy livings!"

Right then at the corner of their eyes, someone walks by the classroom. The girls turn towards the figure, sight distracted. Kihira, still posing on the desk, locks eyes with the person and feels her heart stop.

It was Tsukishima Kei.

His facial expression at that time was so complex it couldn't be described with just words. His golden orbs still on her, looking a little between shocked, amused and slightly scarred, but on a major scale, a constipated look dawns upon his face. Kihira has seen that look several times, and it only appears when someone around him does something beyond stupid and incomprehensible.

Something in Kihira deterred her from breaking her gaze from him. There was a very unnerving silence before she regrettingly breaks it. "Hi Tsukki."

Tsukishima doesn't stop walking, but eyes her oddly, as if he just came face to face with a gargoyle singing on drugs, until he saunters past the classroom. He turns his head away and disappears out of their sight.

There was another uncomfortable silence, before Hana and Akiyo shatter it with their unashamed laughter.

"Who was that?" Hana asks no one in specific before breaking into a cachinnation, pulling Akiyo down into the abyss of cackling with her.

"Giraffe! Giraffe!" Akiyo manages to spit before crashing to the floor next to the puddle of half-dried milky substance, not at all bothering about the possibility of it staining her shirt again.

Feeling the blood from her face drain away as quick as it came, Kihira steps down the table and drops her mop. Ignoring her companions, she slaps a palm to her forehead and slowly drags it down her face.

Shame overwhelms her, but she can't quite fathom why.

* * *

As soon as the school bell rang, Kihira heads out of class along with the throng of students squirming out of the classroom door. The first years' classrooms, like any other years, are situated in the same row of the school block, so every once the bell signalling the end of school rang, the corridors would be permeated with scent of sweaty bodies. Hanging back by standing against the windows of the classroom, she waits until the crowd of teenagers dissipated before walking towards class 1-4.

When she reaches, Ameyuri was still languidly collecting her items on the table, unfazed that she's the last to leave the classroom again. On the outside, it never appealed to her that her friend was a slow person, always doing things at her own pace, never bothered much about the world around her. But that was what makes Nara Ameyuri elfin. She never gave a damn.

Ameyuri looks up and spots her friend at the doorway, and signals her to come in. Kihira pokes her head into the classroom, before apprehensively stepping in and towards her friend even though the classroom was empty. She could never help but feel wary every time she enters a foreign classroom. Ameyuri's seat is the fourth table of the fifth row, her table getting some considerable amount of sunlight around late morning, something she always expressed gratitude for. Her eyes, Kihira noticed, often had trouble adjusting to certain intensity of gleam.

"I'm gonna take a while, so you might want to sit somewhere." Ameyuri holds up two books labeled 'science report'. "I didn't have time to copy the notes, and I was called to Mikoto-sensei's office today. Inconsiderate science teacher of mine."

"Alright. Take your time." Kihira looks around at the many wooden desks she can sit on. Her eyes land on the table positioned diagonally back from Ameyuri's place, and instinctively moves towards it.

Her friend looks over her shoulder. "That's the jerk-twat's seat. Don't sit there, you'll catch his germs."

Kihira chuckles, and slowly bit it back at a particular embarrassing memory that just occurred few days prior. She puts her bag on his table and slumps onto his seat.

Her friend shakes her head. "Can't believe you remember where he sits."

"You're the one who keeps reminding me when we're on duty." She responds. Ameyuri constantly, if not frequently, complains about the blonde, but then again she has a point. Kihira was never the kind who remembers trivial matters. Maybe the recent encounters she kept having with the blonde boy is getting into her head somehow, though she's not certain in what way. It annoys her how the image of Tsukishima's blank, irritated face keeps appearing in her mind these days, and it isn't as if she is _attracted_ to him.

"So, regarding me meeting Mikoto-sensei earlier, we've got some updates on the computer to make." From the way the movement of her pen accelerates, she could tell Ameyuri is almost done. "Goody goody. I love computers."

"I really don't mind either way. And don't you have softball practice? It's Thursday." Kihira reaches her hands into the drawers and drums her fingers on the thin wood, a habit that annoyed Yamato, the boy who sits beside her, to no end.

"Nahh, I can skip anytime I want. The captain's not that strict. Besides, we don't have enough members to play a proper game." Ameyuri clasps her report book and shoves it into her bag. Kihira nods in acknowledgement. The softball team has only recently been formed, and even though Ameyuri doesn't show it, she really wants Kihira to try it someday, and hopefully fill in some spaces. Kihira wasn't quite sure if her commitment to the club can be guaranteed, and that's the only thing that's been holding her back from joining every other clubs. Commitment issues - she never thought she would have them.

When Kihira pulls her hand from the drawer, her fingers catches onto something in the far corner of it. She looks into the drawer as Ameyuri begins speaking. "Oh and do you remember Aya Morita? I heard she's doing pretty well. You should be proud of yourself."

Not really digesting what she said, she pulls out the rough, flat object from Tsukishima's drawer. It was a science report book, with his name on it.

Ameyuri turns around when Kihira didn't respond the way she expected, and raises her brow when she sees her with a book miraculously in her grasp. "Kihira?"

Kihira flashes it at her. "It's Tsukishima's. I found it in his drawer."

Ameyuri looked a little surprised. "That's strange. Kuei-boy never seemed like the forgetful type to me. He always checks his drawer."

Making an effort to not titter at her nickname of him, Kihira gives her a pointed look, to which Ameyuri responded with a "What?"

"You watch him a lot, do you?"

"That's a skill I learnt from you, Iruka. Observe your enemies." Ameyuri says, sanguine, although as far as Kihira recalls, she doesn't have enemies. "Plus, Kuei-boy is not the only one I observe around here. Do you know Ichimaru Kiba? He has a habit of digging his nose and consuming his boogers right in the middle of class. Caught him several times already."

She places his book on the table and jokes, "Ah, so the student surpasses the teacher, I suppose?"

Ameyuri grins. "No, I have yet to save a person from suicidal thoughts. But if you will," She bends her body towards her and joins her palms together. "Teach me your ways, o young wise one."

"There's really no telling if she would do it again." Kihira murmurs, and picks up her bag. "So," She juts her chin at the brown book. "What are we going to do with this?"

"You're his neighbour, aren't ya?" Ameyuri slings her bag over her shoulder and pats her on hers. "Being the good civilian you are, I suppose the duty of a good neighbour would apply to you too?"

Kihira looks down at the book, and feel her forehead crease at the name written neatly on the cover. After that rather mortifying incident with the mop fight and pose, she was really hoping she would never need to run into him again. Sure, she would have to see him again tomorrow at their neighbours' dinner gathering, but the other kids and the playstation in her house would be sufficient to diminish any chances of them coming face to face. Tsukishima could be cold, but he was also a teaser, and the last thing she wants is to hide her reddening face from him if they ever get to that point. He ridiculed her once, and he won't be afraid to do it again.

If she really has to face him, then she has a leathery exterior to work on. There was no way she was going to let any of his mocking penetrate her. She's quite confident she can pull it off, given how she acted with him during that backyard encounter.

For the only and last try, she hands it to Ameyuri. "Can't you do it?"

Her slender brows crinkle at her oddly. With one finger, she pushes the book towards Kihira. "I don't want to deal with that guy. You and me, we both know which one he would less likely scoff at."

Now it was Kihira's turn to arch her eyebrows. "What do you mean? He's equally a dick to everyone."

"Yeah, but maybe if you twirl your brown locks at him a little seductively, he might spare you."

Even after a long tiring day of staring at nothing but a blackboard, Kihira manages to let out a soft laugh. "Didn't that sound flattering, but I highly doubt he would be weakened by such a technique."

"Aww come on, gingers can't be sexy anyways. Besides, if it does work, I would have a strategy to win any altercations against him in the future, if any sprouts."

"I thought you said gingers can't be sexy."

Ameyuri smirks. "I never said I was going to use me against him."

Kihira stares at her for a while, before shaking her head, humoured. "You watch too much movies."

"Because they are educational." Ameyuri retorted, clenching her bag strap. "Come on, let's go."

Smiling at the floor, Kihira follows her friend out of the classroom, and onto the pavement towards the counselling office. Facing Tsukishima was currently an issue hurled to the back of her mind, but little did she know that she would have to face him earlier than expected later that afternoon.

* * *

Pacing back into the neighbourhood, Kihira wipes the endless beads of perspiration from her forehead, and curses herself for not bringing her hair tie. Her hair was beginning to stick to her neck like wet dishes when stacked together - a sensation she hated with fury. For the umpteenth time, she gathers her hair in her clutches and palms it over her right shoulder, even though it will only take a few dozen steps for them to go free and frizzy again. Never has she ever despise the hot weather this much.

The sun wasn't the only thing that was toying with her nerves - just her luck, there was no one around at this time in the afternoon. She could've taken the long route home, which was past the shophouses and back alleys, but one, it was longer and two, back alleys, although most of the time there will be police patrolling in that area. The shorter route, the one she's on, requires her to walk through a cycling park usually deserted around this time of the day too, but she doubts anyone would hand around there. Some residents have reported seeing snakes in the park during hot hours, and there was a case of a man being bitten by one. Herself never having a fear of snakes, she could just stay clear off the grass and walk on the cemented pavement. Sometimes she laughs to herself on how stupid that man was.

But that didn't mean absolutely _no one_ would be in the park. Now if only she waited until evening, then she wouldn't need to look over her shoulders every few seconds.

Taking her first step into said park, she makes sure she has her two feet moving in the middle of the walkway and look behind her, before walking briskly. Just for safety measures, she keeps her eyes on the grass around her. Although wild snakes out here were most likely harmless, she wasn't going to take chances.

The park wasn't big, so it didn't take her long to reach half the journey. Shoes kicking against the gravels and rocks, Kihira keeps her senses high on alert. This was what she does every day, to and fro school, and she had expected herself to go mad with this kind of anxious routine after two months, but she was still here, still sane, the reason being she hasn't encountered any rainy days without an umbrella, hungry snakes or creepy men, and those would most likely not happen for the rest of the year.

But when her ears catch the sound of another footstep behind her, her breastbone swelled with anxiety.

Whipping her head back, a bald man in his mid-thirties, was walking a few dozen feet behind her. She turns back around and started considering the options. He could just be an ordinary guy walking home and meant no harm, but then again it didn't make sense for a man, probably with a driver's license, to take up the option of walking. Kihira has been to this park many times, and she's never seen this man around before.

She turns around to check on his distance, and this time he was at half the distance from her than before. This couldn't be a coincidence. If the man is innocent, considering it was only a girl and him in the park, he should be walking slower to alleviate any suspicions on him, not faster.

Her intuition tells her to run, so she does.

"Oi!" The man calls out with a gruff voice from behind her, he himself picking up the pace. "Where are you going?"

Kihira could only think of propelling in full speed, but her bag pack is preventing her from doing so. At this rate he will catch up to her before she can reach home, so she is clearly at a disadvantage here. Heart palpitating in fear, she struggles to hold any inept thoughts back but she was failing. _Shit I'm so dead. Shit shit shit._

His footsteps were getting clearer and louder, an indication he has no intention of not harming her. She panics. She was going to be in big danger. There was no way she was going to allow this man to take her or harm her.

With one last breath, she shrugs herself off her backpack and swing it _hard_ at his head when he was directly behind her. The man loses his footing and stumbles. Taking this precious second, Kihira throws her bag at him and takes off again. By any chance he could also just be a robber, and she can only pray that he is one.

But he isn't. He picks himself up and runs after her shortly after she does, and it didn't take him long to grab a hold of her forearm. She tries to free her arm from his grasp but not no avail, and attempts to stand her ground as he pulls her into the gazebo.

For the first time in her life, she screams.

The man aims a slap at her, but she dodges it and kicks him in the shin, but it wasn't enough to fend him off. He covers her mouth with his one hand and slams her against the pillar. She was quick enough to jerk her head forward to ensure it didn't hit the concrete, but wasn't quick enough to rip her hands from his as he pins them against the wall. This is when she really panicked. She was never adept at fighting.

He gritted his teeth at her, angering her further. She tries to bite his hand over her mouth, but he made sure that his centre palm wouldn't be touching her lips close enough for her to do it. She snarls at him, still attempting to kick him. "Fuck you."

Although her voice is muffled, he seems to be able to make out her words, his face turns dangerously dark.

Kihira starts to squirm and kick, but the man is too strong for her. Her mind begins to race with thoughts and regrets. Regret for not listening to her mother about asking Tsukishima. Regret for not waiting until a safer hour to walk home. Regret for not running a little faster. Regret for not keeping her fitness in check. Regret for not bringing her pocket knife. Now she was left with the consequences.

But it's never the victim's fault, isn't it?

"Ow!" The man suddenly cries, removing his gaze from her and to someone behind him. "What the fuck do you want?"

Seizing the chance as his grip on her loosens, she manages to twist her hand upwards so that her palm was facing his, and stab his hand with her nails. He cries again. He looks back at her, but was a little too late as she pushes him, creating a distance between them and aims one kick at his manhood.

"Ow! Fuck you, bitch!" The man hoots, catching her hand before she tried to run off, but was pulled away from her by whoever distracted him from her.

The man fell backwards, however, did not lose his balance completely. Before he could recover, Kihira instinctively kicks his centre, causing him to lose his equilibrium and falls backwards, head smacking against the concrete with a deafening 'thud'.

First she feels herself stiffen. Two seconds pass. Five seconds pass. He doesn't move.

"Are you okay?" A husky voice asks beside her. She doesn't take her eyes off the comatose body on the ground, but she knows who the voice belongs to.

"Hey." He tries again, louder and heavy with concern this time.

"Is he dead?" She merely asks, almost berating herself for showing the man sympathy. She abhorred attackers, and swore to never let them have their way if she ever crosses paths with one, even if she had to kill them. These were the only times she could remember being so violent and psychopathic.

But when her eyes landed on the limp, unmoving body of a man, all that killing intent was washed away.

She presses the heel of her hands against her eyeballs, and takes long breaths. Her heart was pounding out of her chest, and she needs to calm herself down before she whites out in the middle of a park. Tsukishima retrieves his phone from his pocket. "I'm calling the police."

Slowly, she sinks to the floor and wraps her arms around her knees. A cold wave overwhelms her, and she starts to tremble against her will. Tsukishima stands over her and looks down. His eyebrow perks. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, just...shocked." Her voice comes out dry and lifeless. She just needs to tame her heartbeat. She looks up at him and catches a ghost of a worry in his eyes. "I'm okay. What do we do now?"

"Wait for the police to arrive." He replies, glancing at the man.

"Tsukishima?"

"What?"

She never thought she would ever say this. "Can I walk with you guys next time?"

Few seconds of silence follows after. She almost says 'never mind' when he finally utters his respond.

"Whatever."

* * *

**Just to clarify, no, I've never had an experience of rape or any kind of sexual assault - I hope none of you have either, otherwise this chapter must've been a ride to the Haunted Circus for you, and I sincerely apologize if that's the case.**

**And I also forgot to mention that Yachi Hitoka is a canon character that appears in the manga - for those of you who only watch the anime.**

**Credits to Fallaby Z for inspiring one of the scenes in this chapter.**

**I appreciate your feedbacks!**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: I did not know how difficult it is to write Tsukishima until this. Rest assured, I re-read the manga to get some ideas on how to write him _without actually making him stray from his character too much, _but I think we can all agree Tsukishima and romance just don't mix flawlessly in the same sentence. Unless it's another boy, like Yamaguchi. I got myself into big trouble by reading some TsukkiYama fics and now I'm ahskgkadgasjlagsa.**

**Who is waiting for season two to be animated? I know I am. Hohoho Akaashi pretty boy hoothoot slayed.**

**I'm glad most of you like long chapters - I thought they were a put-off. A few replies to a few reviews, because thank you for not making me feel like I'm conversing with a brick wall this whole time. I figured it is only right to return the favour:**

_To everyone who liked the idea of Tsukishima receiving the ball with his face**\- You have no idea how overjoyed I am that we are all on the same page.**_

_akagami hime chan**-**** OH YES. Tsukishima is a little bitch and he should be like that until the end - I actually have that line stuck in my head. WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO ME**_

_Lotus Sword**-**** Forgive me, but I find it funny how you misspelled Kihira's name over and over again. Nonetheless, you certainly brought a smile to my face.**_

_chinchilla donut**\- Oh gosh, you have a part of Kihira figured out already. I don't know if I should be scared. **_

_Silver Hydrangea**\- ****I'm interested too, actually. Don't tell anyone this but, ahem...I actually don't have the rest of the plot completely figured out. I tend to change my plans. I need help. haLP.**_

_Gwen1Stacy**\- I swear I see your name everYWHERE. EVERYWHERE. I'm glad you like slow stories! I like them too. Looong and slow. You are making me feel guilty - restraining yourself from reading the last chapter - let me save you!**_

_Ayame-desu**\- Thank you thank you thank you! Simple reviews like yours gets me giddy - though I'm not the best.**_

_Chocogirl24**\- Y-you ship them already? *fear of disappointment erupts in bursting flames* You are the first person I know who ships CharcterxOC, even if just a little bit.**_

**More replies to come! I don't want anyone to feel left out. I sound like a sociopath...but I actually memorized all of your names...*slinks away***

**From this chapter onwards, the plot starts to get a little canon-compliant, so read at risk.**

* * *

With the excuse she was down with a terrible headache, Kihira skipped school the next day, and nestled herself in the confinement of her covers. She couldn't get a single wink the night before and decided not to try after a couple hours of twisting and turning, so she jumped out of bed and finished that owl drawing that has been sitting in her sketchbook for months. Even after an entire night without sleep, her eyelids didn't threaten to droop in the morning. She wanted nothing more than to stay awake - it feels vulnerable having her sight taken from her.

Perhaps she is a little traumatized. The way the man's hands gripped onto hers, the way he locked her movements with an iron grip she couldn't contend against, the devious smirk on his face, it frightens her, and she hates it. The ghost of a hand still hovers over her wrists, his ragged breath fanning her head. It made her want to retch. She felt disgusted and violated. Feeling assailable is terrifying beyond imagination.

The same night of the incident, the police called to inform that the man regained consciousness and was arrested to be put to trial. Apparently he was involved in many other cases concerning kidnapping and a few assault cases, but due to insufficient evidence and his victims' ambiguous statements, there was nothing the department could do about it. Kihira can't quite recall what happened with the police after her encounter with Tsukishima in details, but she remembers the long gash of blood on the man's head from his impact with the concrete. Half of her wanted him to never wake up, and the other feared if he died she would be arrested instead, for the murder of a man without enough attestation.

What surprised her more was her parents didn't even rebuke her on disregarding their advice. That night as she was fiddling with her thumbs, staring at her bedroom ceiling, her mother crept in with a cup of tea and handed it to her - a gesture she has never done. Her mother empathized with her, thus backing off on the chastising, simply sighing and gently telling her to be more careful. She figured her daughter already knew what she needed to be reminded of. That made Kihira felt more remorseful, as she sank into her mattress while her mother padded out the door. Everyone else in the family only shot her empathetic looks, otherwise remained quiet and extra cautious not to tread on the topic during dinner.

By eight the next morning, everyone was out of the house, leaving Kihira to her own accord. Feeling unusually willing in the morning, she completed the chores her mother assigned to her without a grumble and whisked back into her room, not before checking all the doors in the house were locked. Exams were just around the corner, so she pulled out her notes and started revising them. She did everything that could take her mind off the incident and after a stack of math exercises, science notes and a pile of folded laundry, she didn't feel as dead as she did before. Who knew she could get over things fairly quickly without losing her sanity.

Her brother was the first to reach home. It was noon and Kihira was fixing lunch when he stepped into the kitchen with a thin pile of papers and gave it to her.

"Your friend - I think it was Kurosaki - gave you this." Kihira accepted the homework from Shiro. "I was walking home and her car passed by. She asked what happened to you."

Kihira looked up. "And?"

"I told her to ask you herself." Shiro shrugged and turned to walk away. "I don't know how you want to tell her."

Grateful Akiyo collected her homework for her, Kihira knew she was dying to know why she didn't turn up for school today - a reason so discreet even her brother refused to mention it. Just as she thought, when she returned to her cellphone, dozens of messages from Akiyo inquiring about her absence from school were already sitting in her inbox waiting to be replied.

_Kira? Are you sick dearie? Your brother wouldn't tell me what happened to you._

_Hello? Why aren't you replying?_

_ANSWER MEEEEEE_

_Did you break your bones? CAN YOU MOVE?_

_Are you not in the house? What happened?_

_Woman SAY SOMETHING_

_Call me please!_

Kihira sighed and slumped onto the bed, phone in her hand, and massaged her temples. She was thinking of saying she was having a high fever, but it looked like it won't be as easy to escape this as it seemed. Long explanations are dreadful.

When she dug out her pencil box from her bag to get started on her homework, an unfamiliar book fell out. She was about to shove it back into her bag when her eyes caught the neat, familiar handwritten name. It wasn't until she held Tsukishima's science report book then she realized the book has yet to be returned to the owner, and a word of gratitude left forgotten to be said. If he didn't happen to walk by, there was no telling what the man could have done to her, and the thought of her possibly getting despoiled is petrifying. She made a note to pass it to his mother in the evening, but did not expect to have to face him in person when she went downstairs for a cookie.

"Where's Shiro?" Her mother asks, delicately bringing out a cake box from the fridge as Kihira chomps down onto the cookie.

"In his room, but I think he's sleeping. Don't hear his ball bouncing."

Her mother stares at the cake box for a long second, before resting it down onto the kitchen counter. Kihira eyes the white box. "Who bought that?"

"I did, but it's not for us. It's for Tsukishima."

Her veins pulse at the mentioned name. "Oh."

Her mother glances at her, then to the cake box. "Would you help me bring it to them instead?"

The silence that follows after is longer than necessary, but perhaps handing Tsukishima's book to his mother along with the cake is less troublesome than dealing with him alone. She stuffs the entire cookie into her mouth and pats her hands off any crumbs, before heading out of the door with the cake box and a book.

To her relief, Tsukishima's mother answers the door and cheekily lets her in. Kihira greets her and delivers the cool cake box. "Thank you so much. She shouldn't have!" She exclaims non too subtly and opens the lid to take a peek inside. "Oh strawberry! Kei would love this."

Her brows perk at this. So Tsukishima likes strawberry cakes. For a person with an attitude like him, it sure seems contradicting.

"And this is Kei's science report. He left it in school yesterday." Kihira holds up the book for his mother to see.

"Oh okay. His room is the second from the left." His mother closes the box lid as Kihira blinks at her. It takes a moment to register what she just said before her mind starts yelling 'wait what's in different tonalities. Seeing Kihira still rooted to the spot, the woman breaks into a smile. "Don't worry. I don't think he minds."

She wants to scoff, but wisely doesn't. Tsukishima might not mind her unexpectedly invading his personal space, but she minds having to walk into the room of Tsukishima Kei to look at his face and hand over his possession. But not wanting his mother to pick up on any wrong impressions, she hesitantly trudges up the stairs, her heart hammering violently in her chest.

Sixteen steps seem a little too short, because she reaches his room door in seconds. A faint light illuminates from the gap between the frame and the door, but nothing else in the room moves.

The option of sliding the book into the room through the gap underneath the door suddenly sounds tempting, but she has to shoot it down - he would be able to notice the movement. She could place the book on the floor outside his door, hoping he will see it lying on the ground when he exits, but that is risky too - his mother might find it before he does, and wonder what the hell is wrong with the Iruka.

Slowly creaking open the door, Kihira peeks in a little before entirely pushing it out further. Sitting at the study desk with his headphones on is Tsukishima Kei, currently so indulged in his book he doesn't immediately notice her. Above his head is a white bright light that gives out a fluorescent effect, almost blinding her. Other than a stationery cup and a dinosaur figurine, his table is empty.

Tsukishima catches her presence and looks up from his book. The look on his face changes inconsequentially to an expression of surprise and slightly annoyed. Not letting him start, Kihira holds out the book from outside the room. "You left this in school yesterday. Nara found it."

He doesn't move to get it, instead eyes her as if he doesn't know her. She inwardly sighs, only wishing to get this done and over with, so she takes a step into the room, hand still held out.

After a few tensed moments, Tsukishima removes his headphones, gets up from his chair and takes it from her, face remaining incredibly passive. He looks at it for a few seconds before placing it onto his table with his long slender fingers.

"A-and thanks for, uh, for yesterday." Kihira immediately adds before he can sit down, mentally scolding herself for stumbling over her words. Tsukishima stops and glances at her. Standing this close to him, she realizes how big he actually _feels_, compared to her 162cm frame. Most times she has to look up to see his face, but it's always almost the same few expressions. It makes him extremely difficult to read.

He notices her uneasiness as his expression does a hundred and eighty on her, lips coil up into a wry smile. "Why the stutter? I am not going to eat you."

She cocks her head at him. "I know. I came here to say thanks, not to be a part of your meal. And yesterday still affects me, okay? Lay it off."

His smirk chips away inconspicuously, having nothing else much to say. "Then you owe me."

"I brought strawberry cake over."

There is a slight twitch in his left eyelid, otherwise nothing else on his face gives away the fact that he is definitely going to have a slice after she leaves. "I prefer shortcake." And he sits down, resuming his reading. Kihira exhales and puts her hands into her hoodie pockets, casually looking away from his direction to his shelf of dinosaur plush toys and a few photo frames she doesn't have time to study.

"You like dinosaurs?" The words tumble off her lips before she can stop it, with her tone coming out more sinister than she wanted. Tsukishima looks up at her, then to his shelf.

"And so?"

For some reason it makes her smile, thinking if he ever thought of it as something shameful, because she thinks it is a young, adorable passion. "Just noting. Is that a T-rex?"

"It's a stegosaurus."

Realizing she has been in his room way to long considering their closeness, she excuses herself, and steps back out of his room before remembering something. "And are we walking to school or not?"

The boy gives her a brief look. "Seven o'clock. Or I'm leaving you behind."

"Fair enough." And leaves the room once and for all. "Sorry for intruding."

Outside, she wonders how else her day can get more eventful.

* * *

On Sunday night she made sure her alarm clock was set to ring at six and retired to her bed two hours earlier than she normally would. The next morning, she groggily slid down the bed when the ringing nagged at her ears after two snoozes, and proceeded to carry out the mundane routine of washing and changing at a turtle's pace. She was out of her room at six forty, and dashed down the stairs while snapping her brown locks into a ponytail, muttering a 'good morning' to her father who had just exited his room in his half-awaken state, to whom he just stared at.

Her enervated brother was already at the coffee table by the time she reached, idly sipping on his caffeinated coffee while their mother prepared her morning tea. She drained the tea within minutes and bid them goodbye, before clampering out of the door with her bag dragged along the floor. Shiro and their mother gazed at her incredulously.

"She's early." Their mother merely remarked. Shiro shrugged and downed the last of his coffee.

The summer sun was starting to peek out of the horizon when Kihira exited her house but Tsukishima was not yet to be seen, so she waited at her front gate, staring into the multihued morning sky and yawned. She scans the second floor windows of Tsukishima's residence and finds the lights on. If his parents are awake, he should be having breakfast by now.

By her third yawn, Tsukishima's gate opens.

"Mornin'." She slowly but steadily clamps her mouth shut as he approaches. Wearing his white collared button-up shirt and black trousers, he adjusts his headphones over his neck. He gives a slight tilt of the head as a greeting, and they leave for the route to the school.

"Where are you meeting with Yamaguchi?" Kihira asks, extirpating any awkward silences between them.

"After the park. He'll be waiting at the block." He replies, and says nothing else. Eliminating any vain attempts to start a conversation, Kihira looks away at the houses. If he doesn't want to talk to her, she isn't going to push her chances as well.

"What?"

"What?" She turns to him, bemused at the sudden utter of the word.

He narrows his eyes at her, unpleased and significantly annoyed. "You look like you wanted to say something."

Her brows perk. "I did not. What made you think so?" She turns her sight back onto the road. "You're so odd, Tsukishima."

His horizontally straight lips suddenly curls up into a smirk, a sign of something detrimental heading. "Says the one who stands on the table with a mop."

It takes a few moments for her to register what he is referring to, before she slowly turns her head to his direction and makes an expression that looks like a squinting hyena. "That. Was. Once."

"Once is enough for me to tell the teachers what happened to the mops." He says, the coy smile still pinned to his lips. Kihira narrows her eyes at him in scrutiny and stays there long enough to put him off. "What are you doing? Get away from me."

She turns her eyes back front. "Go ahead and tell. Besides, those mops are still in good shape."

Tsukishima snorts into the cool summer morning breeze. "You are the odd one."

"Odd? Says the guy who reads Abnormal Animals 101 and likes strawberry-"

Mid-sentence he puts on his headphones and starts scrolling through his playlist on his iPod. Kihira stares at him silly. She's not sure if this is his way of hiding from things or another demonstration of his perpetual lack of decorum. Put off that she's cut mid-say, she peers over his arm to peek at his playlist, ignoring the warns she is crossing moral boundaries here.

"You like classical music." She says it loud enough for him to hear. He shoots her a look that turns into a mischievous one.

"What did you say, shorty? Your voice can't travel so high up here."

"I said, you like Beethoven and Mozart." She points at his device. "Frankly I thought someone like you would like...I don't know...electro-pop."

His brows furrow at her, finger still on his music player.

"...or thrash metal. Whatever made this." She says, finger gesticulating at him.

"And you know it's classical music because?"

"It says Schubert and Mozart." She states, then big laughing smile. "But you need it, with the kind of personality you ha-"

He taps on a song and shoves it into his pocket, grinning at her coyly like a cat pawing up to a mouse as if to say 'I can't hear you. Try again next time'. She gives him a crooked smile, and lightly sneers at him when his eyes are back onto the road again. This headphones trick is starting to get to her, and she reminds herself to bring her own set of earphones tomorrow. She isn't sure if he can still hear her if she speaks - with headphones it's difficult to tell how loud the music he's listening to is - so she decides to leave the boy alone. For now.

After cornering the park, they meet up with Yamaguchi at the block, just like Tsukishima said. The freckled boy throws a confused look at her, then at Tsukishima, then at her again. At loss of what to do with this uninformed boy, she raises her hand and waves at him with a small and rather maladroit smile, and they leave for the second half of their walk. She walks behind the duo quietly as they chatter among themselves - Yamaguchi doing most of the chattering. The boy followed Tsukishima around like a duckling does to its mother, and clamped his mouth shut whenever he was told to. The air around Tsukishima changes when Yamaguchi is with him - from inscrutable to revered. She can see why the boy is so attached to him. A master and his thrall. Kihira wonders if the poor boy ever has any self-respect.

After they reach the school gate, Kihira approaches Tsukishima. "After school, what time?"

Yamaguchi looks up at him, still slightly baffled. Tsukishima replies her with an almost monotonous tone. "We don't have a fixed time."

"Then I'll come around when I'm done. I will most likely finish before you." Kihira turns on her heels. "Later."

With Yamaguchi in tow, the boys head towards the gym, with the shorter male murmuring something like 'Tsukki' as they walk. Tsukishima has a lot of explaining to do.

Entering her classroom, Kihira drops her bag onto the table and heaves a sigh of relief. She looks around and spots Hana drawing at her table up front, and heads towards her.

Over her back it is difficult to get an elaborate view, but it is a human sketch. Sporting a sports uniform, he has short ebony hair and a few beads of sweat doting his immaculate face. Hana drew him with his arms outstretched, and what seems like a sight seen only from top view, and Kihira instantly recognizes him.

"What are you drawing?" She asks in a low tone, making Hana jump in her seat as she scrambles to cover the drawing with her hands.

"N-nothing? J-just, uh, a person."

"I know, but who?" Kihira leans over to take a better peek at the drawing.

Hiding any further would only spark unnecessary supposition, so Hana sighs and releases her hands. "Akiyo's Kageyama-kun."

"That's amazing." Her friend says, fingers hovering above the meticulously detailed sketch, before frowning. "I don't understand how people like you can find the inspiration to draw all the time."

"Ahhhh... I'm easily inspired?" Hana suggests uncertainly. Kihira's brows slant down, feeling very envious of her gifted friend. All she ever draws is animals, if she does at all.

"So how are you feeling?" Hana inquires, drastically changing the subject. "Akiyo said you might be sick."

Kihira stares at her for a while, before coming to a realization followed by a pang of bad memories. "Oh I'm feeling better." She waves it off. "I just didn't feel like going to school. You know. The blues."

"The blues?" A familiar voice chimes in on the conversation from behind them. The girls turn to see Akiyo with her hands on her hips, lips pursed. "Geez, why didn't your brother say so?"

"Because it's embarrassing stuff. Hormonal changes and all that." Kihira says, gesturing with her right arm, the other hand surreptitiously closing Hana's sketchbook. "But I'm fine now."

"Oh okay." Akiyo says with a sense of comprehension, being a common victim of capriciousness herself, though as far as she remembers Kihira never had to go through those things. She grins at them and points at her brows. "I got my brows done over the weekend. Isn't it pretty?"

Hana leans to study them. "They are, Akiyo. How did it go?"

"Great. I have a performance this Saturday." Akiyo says, poking Hana's brows. "You need to get yours done too. It's kinda hairy."

"Oh...it is?" Her face turns significantly solemn and offended, not that Akiyo notices. Hana turns beseechingly to Kihira, as if to ask if this is normal.

"Well, you can always do it yourself." Akiyo shrugs, then grabs her arm. "Come on, let's go to the gym before they start!"

Hana gives her the same pleading look, so Kihira pouts in mock-childishness. "Oh, so you're inviting her but not me." She says to Akiyo, though it is undeniable that the two are starting to get extremely close - soon enough closer than Kihira's relationship with any of them. It is unusual. With their personalities Kihira thought they would clash, but it seems like opposites do attract. It's a little surreal, considering she was the one who introduced them.

"If you want to come you can come too! But you seem less enthusiastic about the boys, you know." Akiyo says, swinging Hana's arm back to forth.

Kihira gives it a thought, and a certain blonde boy comes to mind. "I think I'll pass."

"Okay! Looks like it's just you and me, Hana-chan. Let's go!" And the girl drags her out of the classroom, with the more solemn one looking back at Kihira. She chuckles and waves at her as she helplessly follows Akiyo. She's going to have to get accustomed to Akiyo's ways.

Yachi, who was dusting her table while witnessing the entire scene, approaches her from behind. "Where are they going?"

"The volleyball gym, I guess." Kihira answers, glancing at Hana's sketchbook.

"Oh." Yachi fidgets slightly, seemingly having something at the back of her throat to say. "I got offered the manager role."

"Really?" Kihira exclaims, forehead creasing in surprise as she sits on Hana's chair. She has seen the posters regarding them seeking a new manager somewhere on the pastel school walls before. "What did you say?"

"I don't know yet actually. Their manager gave me a bit of time to think about it...I'm not sure."

"Why the wait?" She asks, sounding a little too animated. She certainly isn't in the right place - or the right person for that matter. Over the couple months they've been on speaking terms, Yachi struck her as an uncertain and diffident individual, one who could use a lot of help. She supposes that was what lured her to talk to the blonde girl in the first place, apart from being seatmates. "This is a great opportunity, to do these things and meet new people."

"I know, but I'm a little nervous." Yachi says while pressing her hands together, eyes cast downward. "If I start I'll be a temporary manager, then I'll decide if I want to stay for good."

"You _should_ stay for good." Kihira gives her a cheeky grin. "You'll like them. They are all about passion and motivation and all that loud stuff, but you will get used to it. You could use some of that. So yes, you should join, even for a short period of time to get used to them."

"Really?"

"Why not? I'll even give you moral support and stuff." Kihira rests her head on her propped up hand. She gestures the numbers with her fingers. "Number one, beware of flying balls. Number two, beware of the two second-years who will jump on you upon sight. Number three, try to get along with a boy named Hinata 'cause he's nice and you'll like him and he's friends with another boy named Kageyama who has an everlasting scowl on his face but I'm sure he is a swee-"

"But what about you?" Yachi cuts in, and at the spur of the moment her expression turns repentant. "Sorry. Will you be fine looking for clubs?"

"I have one in mind, don't dwell on it. And you'll be fine. The boys will make you feel welcomed." Her voice goes low as she adds belatedly. "...if not awkward at first."

"Oh, thank you!" Yachi proclaims, hands together with a wide smile on her face. Kihira grins back, and hopes her cajoling would get Yachi to join the club for real. Now that her only other friend without a club has dropped the status, she has some signing up to do. Yachi will be in for a very big change, and Kihira is about to be glad to be a part of that development, almost in a motherly fashion. Her only real concern for the frail girl is how she would avoid stray balls and creepy stares from the members.

"And try your best to avoid one called Tsukishima. That one puts people off. A lot."

* * *

"What's taking so long?" Ameyuri says for the fourth time in half an hour, glancing at her watch now and every once. They have been waiting outside Mikoto-sensei's office, supposedly starting to get to work half an hour ago, but the teacher is still attending to another student. Counselling sessions usually never take this long. This one better be a special case.

"Patient. She has lives to save here." Leaning against the wall, Kihira drums her fingers on her forearm, her mouth gaping wide from exhaustion.

Ameyuri throws her cumbersome backpack onto one of the blue cushioned chairs, making a loud 'thud'. It is really the only notable furnishing in the waiting room besides several potted plants. She settles herself on the chair beside with a loud sigh, without consideration of being heard from the other side of the wall.

"Hey Ameyuri," Kihira begins at the girl who is currently kicking her legs into the air. "Sign me up for the softball team."

"Are you serious?"

"Yes. Is that so hard to believe?"

"...it kinda is."

"I am not Tsukishima trying to be polite."

A chortle escapes Ameyuri's lips. "That's great. My captain will be pleased. I can get you started on the basics, if you want."

"That would be good. Thanks."

"They are thinking of entering the prefectural tournaments. Practice will be everyday, unless we have the department's duty." Ameyuri kicks her feet again. "I thought you said you weren't up for commitment."

Kihira sighs and rubs her forehead, murmuring "Never know until you try." She adjusts her stance against the wall. "I figured it's about time I get my indolent ass to do something."

Ameyuri grins and puts her hands behind her head. "You'll like softball. I promise."

Kihira's brow raises. "Promise?"

"Promise."

The corner of Kihira's lips tugged up. As far as she's concerned, Ameyuri never makes promises she can't keep. This is interesting. Now she's _actually_ eager.

"Aughh...how long more?" Ameyuri gets up from her seat and presses her ear on the door, frowning when she couldn't make out anything inside. Kihira shakes her head, and presses her ear on the brown door, crossing her second moral boundary of the day. Apart from unintelligible mumbling, there is nothing else she can make out.

"I'll let you in on something." Ameyuri whispers. "I don't normally stoop this low, but I'm desperate here. I need to make it back in time for my four o'clock show."

"What is it about?"

"About this guy who works in the investigation force, and he toys with people's mind or something - but for a good cause. You know?"

"Nice." Kihira says, recalling the time her brother was obsessed with that show and managed to psycho her into watching it with him. They have watched all the seasons, so they must be showing the reruns on television. "I think they are done."

They stand away from the door and within seconds, a girl with long hair bustles out, her hair curtaining either sides of her face as if it is done on purpose. She shoves past the both of them, muttering an incredibly woeful 'sorry' before exiting the room.

"Wait! Morita-san!" Mikoto-sensei calls out, but she is already long gone, the office door creaking against its hinges as it slowly closes the gap. The girls didn't get a clear shot of their face, but they certainly recognize the features as she sped out of the room.

Ameyuri asks as they enter the room. "Sensei, is everything alright?"

Mikoto sighs dejectedly at her desk, and smiles up at them after a few moments. "It's alright. I'll get it solved, don't worry."

Both girls root to the ground for an ephemeral moment, before dawdling into the inner office where the files are at. When they lower their bags on the desks, Ameyuri jabs her thumb towards the door behind her. "That was Aya Morita, wasn't it?"

"She still has problems." Kihira comments, and frowns.

"I can see that." Ameyuri looks towards the shut door. "It has been two months since the suicide attempt. Shouldn't she should be on the road of recovery by now?" She pauses and turns to her friend, who just got out a stack of documents from the racks. "You only saved her from a suicidal attempt, not suicidal thoughts."

"Save? Save sounds so heroic." Kihira places the documents onto the table gently. "Like I said, I didn't actually talk her out of depression, or whatever she's going through."

Ameyuri crosses her arms, lips puckered in thoughts. Talking someone out of depression isn't within Kihira's field of expertise, or so it seems. She wasn't at the scene of the incident, but she heard from her seniors on the softball team about Aya Morita, the incident and her struggles with depression, though the details are vague. She asked Mikoto-sensei about it and the teacher eventually told her what happened on the rooftop of the school. The name Iruka Kihira was uttered in the midst, but despite that the teacher refused to say anything about Aya's issues with depression.

"You think it's severe depression?" Ameyuri asks, her work still not initiated. Kihira had placed her stack of work in front of her while her mind was somewhere else.

"Most likely. Only depressed people look at me that way."

* * *

At three fifty sharp, Kihira leaves the office and heads to the gym to check if their practice is over. When she arrives to bouncing volleyballs and passionate screaming, she makes a detour back to the department and scans Aya's personal documents. Ameyuri had taken this 'challenge' upon herself, to try and save Aya from her misery, despite the number of times Kihira advised her to leave it in the hands of the professionals. They read her file, but didn't find anything informative about her issues - Mikoto-sensei clearly keeps her discussions highly confidential. If they want to know about Aya, they would have to pry info out of Mikoto-sensei, but is nearly impossible since she places the discretion of her discussions with students her top priority. They have no choice but to do 'research' on their own. How, Kihira doesn't know, because by then Ameyuri had rushed off to catch her show, leaving her prowling around the files on her own.

Seeing as nothing is gained, Kihira puts back the file and revises for the upcoming exams instead. She walks to the second gymnasium every thirty minutes to check if practice is over, only to slog back to the office every time.

At six, she finally packs up and departs for the gym. When she nears, practice doesn't look like it will let up soon so she sits at the stairs, with a burning desire to sit somewhere else more appropriate. She doesn't want to disrupt their training or spark their interest on anything going on between her and Tsukishima.

After half an hour, the doors open, jolting her from her train of thoughts. The manager comes out and asks if she is waiting for anyone, to whom she has to tell the truth - there is really no other better reason to be sitting on the stairs outside the second gymnasium.

"Tsukishima-kun and Yamaguchi-kun?" Her feminine voice squeaks, big beautiful eyes fluttering behind her glasses. Up close she looks even more gorgeous, her shoulder-length black hair still manages to look stunning around sweaty boys, despite the locks not tied up. It's no wonder the boys go crazy over her. "They are staying back a little later. Do you want to come in?"

"Sure, thank you. What are they doing?"

"They are helping Hinata-kun and Kageyama-kun on their studies. They are all in the clubroom."

"Is that okay?"

"It's alright." She assures and leads Kihira into the gym, the floor around them already rid of volleyballs. "You shouldn't need to wait outside."

This is probably the first time Kihira hears the manager utter so many words to one person. The only person she really sees her talking to is their captain and teacher advisor. Any attempts made by Nishinoya and the buzz cut stripper to interact with her was proven futile when they got ignored forthrightly, yet they never stop bothering her with their exuberant greetings (and missed pounces).

The clubroom is just behind the gym, where the lockers and showers are at. Following the manager, she steps into the well-lit room, revealing about half of the members sprawled on the floor with books in front of them. Sugawara is sitting at one corner of the room, directing Nishinoya's attention to the reading materials while explaining facts as the four first-year members are situated on the other side of the room. Tsukishima and Yamaguchi have their backs facing her as the four mutter things back and forth. Feeling sure her presence is yet to be noticed by the entranced occupants in the room, she stiffly approaches a sequestered corner near the first-years to wait at, their voices getting clearer by each step.

"...pretty cruel to that oni, don't you think?"

"You thought it was the 'Oni and the Kanabo'? Did you even read the question?"

"Geez, cut me some slack!"

"You saw 'oni', didn't read the question 'derped' and ended up writing this, didn't you? You're really simple minded."

"The answer should be 'tears'."

"Why are you guys ganging up on me?"

"He's right, you need to calm down a bit more and think this out."

Tsukishima slams his hand onto a pile of papers they are studying, rather out of his usual composure. "Kageyama, you're one to talk! You can't do this any better than Hinata, you know? Do something about your basic math formulas and English vocabulary, will you?"

Enthralled, Kihira watches them a little longer until a tap on the shoulder distracts her. "They are going to take a while." The subject of the voice, the manager, tells her. "They've been at it for ten minutes."

"I don't mind waiting. Besides," She takes a sideway glance at them. "I think they are almost done."

"Then I'll be leaving first. Sorry to leave you here."

"It's okay. I can handle myself."

The manager - Kiyoko, she remembers - excuses herself from the room, leaving her on her own in a room of acquaintances, if not strangers. Inhaling deeply, Kihira stalks over to the group of bickering boys and places herself behind Tsukishima.

"...write it down so you won't forget, dimwit."

"I will, I will...geez." Hinata snatches a pen from the floor and scribbles away. When he looks back up, he jolts at the new presence looming behind Tsukishima, ultimately pulling the other three boys' attention towards her. Tsukishima in particular has to crane his neck up to see the brunette behind him.

"Iruka-san!"

"How did you get in here?" Tsukishima questions first, looking momentarily surprised to see her at a place she would least likely be.

Kihira's face split into a genuine smile at Hinata. "It's almost dark out." She glances at the clock on the wall. "Not rushing you, but when will you be done?"

Tsukishima turns back to Hinata and Kageyama, who gives no answers with their facial expression, and decides to make the call. "We'll continue tomorrow. Let's go Yamaguchi."

"I'll wait outside." Kihira says, and jerkily steps out of the room and into the cool evening air. Tsukishima and Yamaguchi stuff their things into their bags, the action accompanied by the bickering between Hinata and Kageyama, and exit the gym within minutes after exchanging 'Good work today's. The sky is already hued cyan blue when they take off, with Kihira walking a few steps ahead the two boys. Paired with the boys' low murmuring, she silently enjoys the elements of the night. Every few dozen steps she turns her head around to check on their surroundings whenever they stop talking, and it makes Yamaguchi unnecessarily nervous, like they are being watched. Tsukishima notices his stupor, and tells him to take it in a stride. He supposes it's normal for her to act that way, considering what happened a few days ago.

After five minutes, they reach the front of Yamaguchi's modest abode. His house doesn't look as big as Kihira's or Tsukishima's, but the porch is big enough to park both his parents' cars. He waves them goodbye before entering his house. Kihira plans to interact with the boy in the near future, but not too soon. She concludes it will be better for him to get used to her presence before jumping right into a conversation.

"Do you guys end this late everyday?" She asks after they leave the Yamaguchi residence.

"It varies." Replies Tsukishima. "If you don't want to wait you have to find a ride back."

"I don't mind waiting. I'll start ending late tomorrow as well." Kihira pauses. "And I see you're really into the role of a teacher."

His brows crimp at the girl. "What do you mean?"

"You never strike me as the helping type, especially towards Kageyama. I thought you don't like him."

He would be lying if he says he isn't slightly impressed she reads into him so quickly, and starts to wonder if it is a matter he should brood over. "Tch. I didn't have an excuse to turn them down."

"Nevertheless," she continues with a touch of suspense, the image of an aggravated Tsukishima-sensei resurfacing in her mind. "You were really in character back there."

"Speak for yourself, mop-chan."

"Mop-chan? That's what you're going to call me from now on?"

"That's actually a good idea, Mop-chan."

"At least come up with a better nickname, please. I can't find myself responding to that."

"Do you prefer posing-on-the-table-with-a-mop-chan?"

"I'll take the short one."

The smug on his face remains. Kihira's difficult to irritate, and has a somewhat twisted sense of humour. She sounds awfully lot like the gingerhead in his class, but a lot more amusing - mainly because he never expected someone like Iruka Kihira to have such a personality. The first impression she gave him was nothing like this at all. So the phrase 'Don't judge a book by its cover' proved itself.

House keys in her hand, she jingles them at him to catch his attention when they arrive at their homes. "Same time tomorrow?"

"Or I'm leaving you behind." He adds.

"For the record, I was earlier than you this morning."

"Whatever, mop-chan."

"Suit yourself." She juggles her keys to find the one to the gate. The streetlights don't turn on until seven, so the darkness doesn't help her at all, neither does the tall blonde snickering at her, brows furrowed at the keys like they are her mortal enemies. When she finds it, she beams up at him and brushes her fringe away from her dark eyes.

"Anyways, thanks for walking me back." Kihira says. Tsukishima finds himself stiffening as her eyes land on him. They linger a little more than they should, and snap back into colour. "Goodnight. Bye."

And she vanishes inelegantly into the comfortable compound of her porch. Somehow that odd swivel of action gets Tsukishima staring at the spot that was once the brunette, wondering just what he has gotten himself into.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Wow look at all of you! You guys have grown an inch or two since the last time I saw you guys! Come here and stand back to back! Let's see who grew the most!**

**Naww I've been gone for too long I know. Guys, you have no idea how much my life has changed since the last time I updated. Also, 200 favourites and follows! Woo! I feel so guilty not updating often enough (said every fanfic author ever). I can't believe even after 10 months, people are still discovering this story. That means Tsukishima is gaining some fans.**

**Also, a lot of you mentioned there is a lot of grammatical errors in this story. I am so sorry! I usually rely on the squiggly red/green lines on Word Document because I am starting to focus more on sentence structure and variety. The whole past/present thing also affects it. Time to do some revision I guess!**

**I'll update again in a few days if we are lucky. Let's jump right into the reviews shall we?**

_UnavailableName_ **\- Ahaha guess we are both THAT type of fanfic authors.**

_silverblinded_** \- Yeah, I destroyed the idea that it was an attempted rape, though. Thought it was too cliche, so I edited that bit.**

_PhoenixRage92_ **\- I constantly worry about Tsukki being OOC! Especially in this chapter!**

_Ayame-desu _**\- I SCREAM WHEN MY FAVOURITE FANFICTION GETS UPDATED TOO. Aww that was so flattering!**

_Panda Says Rawr_ **\- Can I just say I like your profile picture. :D**

_Anya Evermore_** \- Thank you! I only strive to get better!**

_CallMeEli_ **\- I agree on the OCs story statement you made! Some has made me cringe so hard. That's why I decided to join the Revolutionary Bandwagon of Knocking Down Stereotypes Against Good OCs. I hope mine is good enough though. She is not perfect, just like the rest of us.**

_akagami hime chan_** \- Wow marriage already? That's a little too early to assume! I might give this story a twist...hohoho...**

_9angels1idiot_ **\- I'm so glad that made you laugh! I hope you stick around! I'm not a good comedy-romance writer - I'm always either one or the other!**

_hokshi_** \- Meaningful review! Thanks for letting me know you don't mind fillers too, although I think I won't be making any. This story is set to end before chapter 20, so we'll see.**

_Wabli_ -** Thank you! Posting stories on the internet isn't that scary to me at all - posting Youtube videos are though. I tried filming myself once - never did again.**

**Apologies if I got any of your names wrong!**

* * *

With the first semester reaching its end, schools never fail to prepare an exam for students before liberating them into the arms of the summer holidays. Since the tests are just around the corner, Kihira has decided to stay in class during recess to catch up on some reading. It is a common move among students - especially those in college prep classes - so it's figured she doesn't want to lose out. Sure, she isn't aiming for the first, but doesn't want the last either.

She takes a quick look around to see half of her class staying back to study. It is no doubt she has some pretty studious friends, but there are devoted students everywhere. Earlier in the day Yamaguchi had asked Tsukishima if he wanted to stay in class to study, to which the blonde replied "I am not that desperately dumb", making the poor boy laugh uncomfortably. All she could do was bore holes through the back of the blonde's back, the word 'rude' forming her mindscape.

Since she started walking with the boys, it got the gears in her brain working. Forming opinions about someone else's friendship is uncalled for, but she couldn't help herself seeing the way these two communicate. Tsukishima sounds as if he's annoyed with every word Yamaguchi utters, and Yamaguchi sounds like the most clueless, oblivious little child in the world. If Kihira was him, she would've left the blonde ass a long time ago. The one type of people she dislikes is the condescending ones, and Tsukishima just so happens to check that box. The idea of being put down emotionally so frequently isn't healthy, so she's starting to wonder whether Yamaguchi's low confidence level has any to do with his friendship with the spectacled blonde. She pities him, really.

She will never understand why anyone would treat a best friend that way, or even more why someone would want to stick to a person that mean. There has to be a reason Yamaguchi hangs around him in the first place. No one would just throw themselves at horrible people, wouldn't they? Is it because Yamaguchi likes weird people? Maybe they had a history of some sort? Maybe Yamaguchi gets shade from a taller guy?

Shaking her head, Kihira continues munching on her chocolate bread - she clearly hasn't been getting enough sleep - and flips the forty-fifth page of her science textbook, attempting to absorb the increasingly blurry words while Yachi scribbles away at the corner of her sight. No use. Nothing is going into her brain now. Losing her focus, she diverts it towards Yachi on her left. "So how's the volleyball team?"

It takes the girl a few seconds to realize she is the subject of the spontaneous conversation. "Ah-h, i-it's fine. Good so far."

"Do you need help?"

"I-I think?" Yachi scratches the back of her head. "Actually, I've been thinking...most elite school teams have two managers, so I was thinking of getting another one, but that's not really my choice so..."

Kihira takes another mouthful of her snack. "Why, is it too much work?"

"Not really. But I'm just afraid it would get a little lonely next year when Shimizu-senpai leaves and all...then I'll be the only girl again." Yachi says. "An assistant would be great."

"You can recruit a new manager next year when you're in control, you know." She reminds her before peeling down the plastic wrap away from her bread. She cringes as the wrap tears down almost too quickly for her liking, leaving a chocolate mess on her finger.

"I know, but I'll have to train them again and...can I handle them? Will they listen to me? What if they do something wrong and it affects the club and I get fired and-"

"Yachi."

"-I was thinking maybe you might like the job!"

Silence overwhelms them. Yachi stays frozen at her position as Kihira squint her eyes hard at her, two lines form where her eyes once were. Yachi gulps. Oh no. Did I make a wrong move?

"...I already have a club." Kihira resolves.

"Oh." The blonde girl squeaks. "But...I thought you...?"

"Softball. I had my first practice last week." Kihira takes another bite of her snack. "But thanks for the offer."

Yachi lets out an exasperated sigh and slumps onto the table. "I'm going to fail everyone."

"Nahh you'll be fine." Kihira says. "I can help you out sometimes you know."

"Do you mind having two clubs?" Yachi asks, picking at the eraser scrappings on her desk. Unbeknownst to the girl, the question catches Kihira off guard. The thought of joining the volleyball team as a manager once crossed her mind, but it has always been taken as a flippant thought. To have the question thrown directly at her catches her in a position she never realized existed. Being a manager for the school's volleyball team would be fun - after all, the boys are quite the entertaining bunch, but that would mean she had to spend the next three years dedicating her soul to other people's successes. Not that she minds too much, but it was just the beginning of her resolution to a more self-fulfilled, proactive lifestyle.

Schedule between both clubs is not a problem, but she will need to figure out how she would pace herself emotionally around the boys - especially around a certain blonde one.

"Maybe." She says, before finishing what's left of her brunch and putting away the wrapper it came with. "I really don't know." Just then, her eyes catch two familiar figures loitering outside the classroom, peering in at their directions rather shamelessly.

"Yachi," Kihira calls her. "Are those two looking for you?"

Yachi jolts up and sees the two boys dawdling outside the classroom. The moment her gaze locks with one, his face lights up like fireworks and exclaims in utmost joy. "Excuse us! Yachi-san!" and the both of them make their way towards her, distracting some classmates from their books. Kihira watches as the boys make their way towards the momentarily paralyzed girl.

"Hi! I'm Hinata Shouyo from class 1!" The shorter boy exclaimed then pointed to Kageyama beside him. "This is Kageyama."

"'Sup."

At this point Kihira zooms out and stares back at her book. She feels a little self-conscious around the volleyboys, regardless of how many times she has ran into them. She hates to admit it, but it's the thought of being near any...testoterone-wielding being that gets her on the tip of her senses - and she can't put to words why. Back in elementary school she made friends with boys as easy as buffaloes did with canaries. Ah, it must be puberty, isn't it? No, it can't be. From her observation it seems that girls got increasingly closer to the opposite sex as they grew older, while it's vice versa for her. It must be that short period of time she struggled with anxiety in middle school that got her so out of touch with male interaction, she could hardly speak to a male classmate without stuttering a word or two.

On the surface she might look steady, but on the inside she is always finding a way to not look like a fool.

Too much boys, she digs her head into the book further. She convinces herself she doesn't have time for them. Her short time spent with Tsukishima has helped her revive some communication skills (she's surprisingly brave around him), but she doubts he's the right stepping stone for her progress.

"Please teach us this part in English!" exclaims the boy a little too loud for Kihira's liking. "Kageyama, you ask too!"

"Please teach us."

"If we fail our tests next month, we won't be able to go on the Tokyo trip!" Hinata continues, hand clutching an exercise book. "That's why we got Tsukishima - that tall glasses guy - to teach us, but lately he's been getting pissed cause' we both too stupid..."

"It's not like we are scared of him or anything."

"A nicer teaching method would be better..." Hinata says, fiddling with his thumbs thinking about the said tall blonde.

Yachi gives them a crooked smile. "If you are okay with me..."

"Really?" Hinata entire energy fuel shoots up a few notches, ringing too many bells in Kihira's ears. Kageyama still stands beside him, unfazed. How this guy puts up with Hinata's antics, she has no idea.

"Yeah...but I don't know if my teaching methods will be nicer than 'tall glasses guy'-san's-"

Kihira puts her book down, the sound of the spine hitting the table a little more alarming than expected. Under the overwhelming stares of the three, she immediately regrets not putting the book down more gently. She blurts, "Granted, everyone's teaching methods are nicer than 'tall glasses guy-san's." She points the end of her pencil towards Yachi. "You are smart. And nicer."

Said blonde girl lets out an awkward laugh. "Well I'm not-"

"You are!" Hinata cuts in immediately. "You will always be nicer than 'tall glasses guy-san'! He just keeps calling us stupid and it's making me feel down about taking the tests...he doesn't know how to motivate people!"

"He's Tsukishima, what do you expect?"

Yachi blinks at them a couple times, then scratches the back of her head. "...well...okay. Grab those chairs. We'll start."

As the boys move to grab the nearest chairs, Yachi rubs her hands and takes a few deep breath. Kihira gives her a strange look. "You're playing teacher, not base jumping off a tower."

The girl displays a look of a distortion of anxiety and constipation. "I-I've never talk to boys like this before..."

Kihira smiles to herself, letting her mind wander to a familiar place. She picks up the textbook after giving her friend one last empathetic glimpse. "Good luck. You're on your own on this one."

* * *

It is 4pm in the afternoon and the sun is still blazing above their heads. Girls in baseball caps and sport shoes dot across the softball park of the high school. Today they had the whole court undisturbed to themselves since the Frisbee Club was suspended for breaching school rules (no one could understand how they got twenty frisbees stabbed into the tapioca tree and called it a work of art). Yakisa, the team captain of the female softball team however, could not be more pleased. She took this rare opportunity as a sign of blessing and pushed the girls harder than ever before. After all, with all those frisbee maniacs running free in the field beside, it was difficult to do a good throw without the worry of one of their softballs clashing with an intruding frisbee. Better savour this day while they still can.

The girls on the court have been sweating their arses off after a few hours of training, but not Ameyuri. She was never one to sweat easily. In fact, it became a problem because sweating is good, and she isn't doing it enough. She looks across at Kihira, who was perspiring excessively - shirt drenched and forehead glistening in the sunlight - swinging the bat around. She got used to the weight quickly. Rubbing the sole of her shoes against the grass, Ameyuri steps back and swings her arm, propelling the ball towards her friend at a mouth-gaping speed.

"Ball!"

Eyes shut, Kihira swings her bat, letting luck take her hit. For the first time that day, she hears the satisfying, foreign sound of the bat hitting the ball back at an acute angle.

Falling to the grass on two knees, she throws both arms in the air in a victory stance. "Yes! Finally!" Before falling face down to the ground, bat at her side.

Ameyuri laughs and trots over. "Get up, or you'll get ants in your face."

Kihira deliberately sits up while Ameyuri plops herself on the grass beside her. Surrounded by the grassy aroma and radiating heat, the two stares off into the distance where the other girls were practising throws and hits. Yakisa's eccentricity, is as usual, fluttering around other members of the softball team as they wing hits after hits under the cheer of their passionate captain. Yakisa has assigned Ameyuri to get Kihira started in the basics for the first few lessons before they join the team practice. Of course, that means their feisty captain wouldn't be paying such close attention to the duo as they catch their breath sitting down. It has been a few weeks since Kihira started her first training, that means she would be joining the main team soon enough.

Kihira exhales heavily. "Any chance we will make it to the spring tournaments next year?"

The redhead scrunches her face. "Negative. The third years are kinda bummed about it, but I guess they would at least participate in the district competition in January, you know, something on a smaller scale. I heard they are signing the entire club for an intensive training workshop throughout spring in preparation of next year, so that's good news for us. It's still going to take us a while before we can qualify for the annual stage tournament next year. It's all down to how the club is taken over next year." She picks at the grass. "I don't know who might get team captain next year though."

Kihira looks off to the rest of the team on the other end of field. Silhouettes jump and run across the plain. She never dared to dream of being a part of a sports team, let alone actually be in one. The word "competition" makes her stomach twist in a fear-driven excitement. There is still so long until the next year. She has all the time to worry about it. But...

"Who is there in second year?"

"Well we have Juuri Katana, Yamada Mai, Miri, Nisaki and- Oh!" Ameyuri exclaims and grabs Kihira by the shoulders. "Morita Aya is also on our softball team!"

"Sh-She is?" Kihira's eyes fix on Ameyuri's strong arms.

"She hasn't been to practice at all, save for the first few sessions earlier in the year." Ameyuri releases Kihira. "Or more precisely, since that suicide incident months back."

Kihira nods slightly and pats off the lovegrass seedlings from her long pants. "So did you find out what happen to her?"

Ameyuri makes a light scoff. "Broke up with her boyfriend apparently. Gee, I don't understand how people get so attached to their significant other to the extent you'd kill yourself over them. Dumbest thing anyone could do, honestly."

Kihira shrugs. "Emotions cloud."

"Yeah, but-" Ameyuri successfully pulls some weed from a healthy patch of grass. "-but aren't people supposed to be aware of the consequences of having a relationship beforehand? Come on, killing yourself over love is so dramatic. How much did he mean to her that she was willing to jump off a building for?" She proceeds to toss the weeds into the air. "I don't get people sometimes!"

Kihira smiles inwardly as the bits of torn weeds flutter around the both of them. Funny how people have such a clear view of irrationality and intellection only when they are the bystander. She isn't sure if it's hypocrisy or the lack of self-awareness. It is just a mentality people fall for more times than they think.

She picks up a fig and pokes around the trail of ants heading back to their anthill. "My parents told me to never get involved in love at this age."

"Classic thing for them to say." Ameyuri says. "Too young, too dumb, an incredible waste of time and energy. High school couples never last anyways. Except some. My cousin married her high school sweetheart. As much as I'm not willing to admit, they are pretty damn solid."

Kihira props her face on her palms. "It is still such a rare occurrence. Not something I'm willing to take the risk for."

Ameyuri's lips split open into a grin. "Really? Or are you just talking big?"

She thinks about it for a second and chortles. "I really don't want to be involved in anything like that at this age." She stops the next line of sentence from spilling out of her mouth, creating an unresting silence between them. Somehow, she has a feeling, like a long, slithering, invisible inkling crawling up her spine, threatening to bite her hard in the future when she least expects it. Maybe it is better not to open up about this opinion.

Then again, it is as if she already knows what that feeling is about. It is a matter she doesn't want to address. It is not important. Her resolve remains strong.

"Anyways, I am going to ask around for more information." Ameyuri gets up and shakes clean her gloves. Kihira snorts lightly.

"You are still at it with Morita Aya?"

"A few of us just wants to help her. Don't get me wrong, she is still stupid for her actions, but I am curious as to how one can turn so damn blind when heart shapes are all they see." The ginger stretches her back and looks back at her brunette friend in the ground. "Promise me you'll never be like that, Kihira."

"Hmm?" She looks up at her, face passive. "Oh, sure."

"You'll always stay the realistic person you are, right?"

This time around, Kihira chuckles, uncertain if due to the childish request or the uncomfortable weight of her words. "I don't make promises. But I'll always be this for as long as you like."

Wrinkles appear around Ameyuri's eyes and two rows of crooked, white teeth gleam at her. "Good for us. Let's continue, before Captain Yakisa kicks my ass."

Kihira gets up with her bat, crinkling at the grass beneath them. The unsettling feeling fades into the empty corner of her brain. For now.

* * *

"Iruka-san?"

The girl shoots up from her gaze at the ground as he calls her name. She seems startled that Daichi, the third year volleyball team captain, has a reason to talk or greet her, he notes. It looks like he caught her off guard on her way to the gym. Kihira has always looked to him like the calm, placid type of girl. Take away that one time she stuttered around his teammates, and there is an air of confidence and self-trust hidden behind the shy exterior. He has yet to see her demonstrate great aplomb in dealing with pressure, but her coolheadedness and ripe mind looks like it could handle anything his team throw at her.

He isn't sure if his decision would go through, but he is willing to try.

"I need to talk to you about something."

The girl's black irises continue to fix on him, but this time in confusion and surprise. "Uh, okay."

They shift to the side of the corridor and settle themselves face to face before Daichi picks up where he left off. "I had a discussion with our team's two managers and we decided to get another manager - assistant manager precisely, to assist Yachi-san next year when the third years leave."

Kihira studies him sceptically, weighing the effects of her next words. "Did Yachi suggest this?"

Shrewd. Looks like she also knows where he is going with this. Daichi scratches the back of his head and laughs softly. "She did. Kiyoko-san and I agreed it would be best for her and the club to have someone a little more...direct and self-assured to help manage the team. Yachi-san has expressed her concern of being unable to control the boys when they get rowdy."

"So you want me on the team."

"As assistant manager, yes."

She looks like she wants to turn his offer down, when she says, "I don't know if Yachi has mentioned this, but I am a part of the softball team."

"She did." Daichi says. "Assistant managers aren't required to be fully committed to the team. They usually act as stand-ins or simply to lighten the load of the manager. Besides, we have a Tokyo trip coming up, so we could use some extra hands."

Kihira goes quiet, presumably in deep contemplation.

"...besides," he adds, "You come by every day to wait for Tsukishima anywa-."

_"Oww, quit squishing me!"_

Muffled voices come from the slightly ajar gym doors behind them, followed by shuffling noises of shirt fabric rubbing against the metal doors. Kihira inwardly snickers as a slight look of exasperation flickers across Daichi's face. He marches towards the source of noise and yanks both the doors open. Kageyama, Tanaka, Hinata and Nishinoya - all in order - falls face down onto the ground right before Daichi's feet. A singular sound of "dumbass" can be heard erupting from the other side of the court. She instantly recognises who it belongs to.

Nishinoya glances up at their aggravated captain, affrighted, before exclaiming all too soothingly.

"Did she say yes?"

"Noya, Tanaka, Kageyama, Hinata...get back in. _Now._"

The four scrambles on top of each other and away from their booming captain. Daichi gives them one last stern look before slamming the doors shut and reaccessing his attention onto the girl.

"I think I have some extra time to spare." Kihira says. "But my softball team remains my first priority."

"So I take that as a yes?"

Seeing as to how excited the captain's tone has got, Kihira resists razing his enthusiasm. "Yes- I mean, I guess. I should be more involved in these sort of things anyways."

Noises jet out from the gym again, but this time in forms of screams and cheers. Daichi sighs heavily and apologises on behalf the team for flustering her. Kihira shudders, not liking the feeling of being flattered this way.

"I swear, I never told them anything."

Kihira smiles to assure him. "Yachi seems like she really needs some help."

Daichi beams at the first year girl, satisfied with the result of their discussion. "No, the entire team is going to need help."

* * *

After they dropped off Yamaguchi, Tsukishima swiveled around to face the brunette girl. Kihira knew this moment would come, so she has already mentally prepared herself.

"So, I heard the news."

She plays dumb. "What news?"

Tsukishima's brows angle at her, half in simpering amusement. "You're our assistant manager."

"If you think my job is to pick up your sweaty towels, you can dream on." Kihira says. "Besides, I have other commitments, so don't be hoping to see me around so much."

"I'm not."

Over the weeks, their friendship - or acquaintanceship rather - has evolved from walking three feet away to walking side by side (still keeping a distance between, though). Tsukishima no longer has his headphones on every day, but now every once in a while. Inconsequential improvement, but improvement nonetheless. Not that Kihira is happy about it, but she isn't complaining either. She likes him better when he was more approachable, and not when he acted too hard to look unreachable. She gathers that her newly-achieved friendship with Yamaguchi has rubbed off the blonde in some way. They discovered they both have a lot in common - their tastes in television shows are uncannily similar. Yamaguchi must have found her much less intimidating and more accessible than his other friend, because every now and then Yamaguchi would walk a little slower just so he could keep talking to her. Tsukishima must be getting jealous. He doesn't look like he is, so that mean he does a great job hiding it.

At least now he makes the effort to start a conversation with her that doesn't always involve snide remarks, so it shows that he does care about his surroundings and the people in it. He isn't as prude as people make him out to be, provided they press the right buttons.

"I hope all of you passed your exams for the Tokyo trip."

"Hmph, ask the king and his slave that."

"Aren't you the one tutoring them for the tests this whole time? If they fail it's your fault too."

"If they didn't reenforce themselves, that is not my problem." gripes Tsukishima. "They have to go on a separate bus."

"A good teacher motivates his students, Tsukki."

"I would like to see you teach them." Tsukishima heaves. "And don't call me that."

"Well, Yachi taught them pretty well. I was their cheerleader."

"What did you use? Mops?"

Kihira laughs at that. "Mops are too big. I'm thinking...reminding them of having to be tutored by you over and over again. I think that strategy worked pretty well. They studied very hard because of that."

Tsukishima snorts and looks away at the trees, tired from their volleyball practice. Kihira bites her lips and looks at the ground, hating this part of the journey. The silence between them. She is starting to think that now, maybe walking side by side isn't that positive of an improvement. A part of her can ignore it, but everytime a car drives past them, she can't help but want to shield her face by pretending to scratch her forehead. She hopes Tsukishima doesn't notice those gestures of hers, but she doesn't underestimate his observation skills. Even if he does notice, he doesn't say anything about it.

Maybe he is equally embarrassed.

"How did Tadashi do this time? For his exams?"

Tsukishima looks notably disturbed by the use of his friends' first name. "Why didn't you ask him that? Aren't you two close now?"

"You know I'm just kidding. I don't call him by his first name." Kihira says. "I didn't ask him because I thought you'd be more honest."

"You seem like you have a problem with me and Yamaguchi." Tsukishima goes straight for the gun. "I wonder why."

"I don't. At least not anymore."

"Anymore? What was it? Feeling too left out from our conversations so you needed to butt in?"

"Tsukishima, I don't know why you are so salty about this. I was not feeling left out, never was and never will. If you feel like I am taking Yamaguchi away from you then I'm sorry, but that wasn't my intention at all, okay?"

The boy keeps quiet from there on. She immediately feels guilty. Perhaps she sounded too harsh. But she really doesn't understand Tsukishima's feeling towards her friendship with Yamaguchi. She knows he might be jealous, but she never expected him to be that irritated. What did she do wrong? Or is he just tired?

Tsukishima doesn't say anything until moments later, tone a lot more settling and calm. "I'm not mad at that. It's your little mind games that bothers me."

"Mind games? I'm not playing any mind games with you, Tsukishima."

He chaffs in disbelief. "Like I would believe you."

"I just- " There is nothing else she could say. Tsukishima has gone down a one-eighty path on his impressions of her that she doubts she can still reach him. "What made you think that?"

"You should evaluate yourself on that." He simply says. "Until then, I won't accept you as our assistant manager."

Kihira felt as if someone pierced a poisoned needle through her heart. She feels thoroughly humiliated and offended. The degradation that overwhelms her however cannot match the downcast she is feeling. "So that what this is all about huh," her weaker voice speaks with what's left of the volume from the emotional drainage. "Me being your assistant manager. It concerns you?"

"That's not the point." Tsukishima says. It isn't until he stops walking that she realises they have already reached their houses. "I'm tired. Goodbye."

He turns from her without another word, leaving her gawking at his house in anguish, befuddlement and shame. She refuses to believe that conversation just happened, and unfortunately, very real.

_Tsukishima Kei, I can't believe you._


End file.
